The average household spends over $2000/year on energy. While, hopefully, you are able to split your bill for utilities with roommates, this can still certainly be a big hidden housing cost for a student. Fortunately, there are many suggestions you can follow to reduce your energy consumption and expenditures. Additionally, if you live in an area with competitive power markets, you may be able to switch to another electricity provider and save money in that way. If an apartment were able to implement several simple suggestions, they could save a large proportion of their energy costs each year. Assuming a 25 year old was able to save just 25% of his energy costs, this decision would be worth nearly $500,000 by the time he/she retired. Explore the links below and discover how you can make a Million Dollar Decision today.

1. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=popuptool.atHome is a neat, interactive tool that allows you to see how you can save energy in various parts of your home/apartment. 
2. http://www.extension.umn.edu/family/00035.pdf is a free resource that provides great tips that will allow renters to save on their utilities. 
3. http://www2.whitefence.com/order-now-wfi.html?mcId=5 allows you to see if your apartment is serviced by more than one electricity provider. You may be able to easily switch and save money.