Energy Cost Avoidance Program Saving Tax Dollars
The Huntington School District’s campaign to avoid energy costs has paid handsome dividends since it began in February 2001. Over the past seven years the district has saved almost $2.1 million or 26.91 percent of what would have been its bill.
The energy “cost avoidance program,” as it is formally called, educates employees about conservation measures they can take on their own, while also aggressively targeting after school hours, including nights, weekends and vacation periods and zeroing in on big energy users.
As the largest and most active school building in the district, Huntington High School has seen the biggest savings as $1,027,822.01 in energy costs have been averted through February 2008. The total amounts to a savings of 35.06 percent. Over the past seven years, the district incurred energy expenses of $1,903,604.19 at the high school. Without the conservation program, the tab would have been $2,931,426.20.
The savings at Huntington Intermediate School, which also houses the district’s administrative offices, came to $344,859.41 or 25.36 percent. Energy costs at Huntington Intermediate came to $1,015,024.09. Without the CAP the bill would have been $1,359,883.50.
The district saved money at Woodhull Intermediate School, too. Woodhull consumed $472,699.87 worth of energy over the past seven years instead of $672,248.60, which it would have without the conservation efforts. The savings amounted to 29.68 percent of its costs.
At J. Taylor Finley Middle School, $225,072.09 worth of energy expenses were avoided or 19.92 percent. Finley’s energy bill over seven years came in at $904,606.38 instead of $1,129,678.47.
There have also been savings at Southdown ($93,381.50), Washington ($64,566.37), Flower Hill ($60,217.22) and Jefferson ($50,563) schools.
Differences in the amount of savings between buildings is attributed to their size, usage and the energy efficiency of each site. For example, Huntington Intermediate School recently had its windows and doors replaced. This work is expected to reduce its energy consumption.
Over the past seven years, the district spent $5,611,820.46 on energy compared to the $7,677,850.79 it would have spent without the cost avoidance program. “These savings are real and they help to hold down taxes,” Superintendent John J. Finello said.
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