Students on campus during the summer are not only looking for places to tan, but they are also being conscious about how much money they put toward their electricity bills when using air-conditioning.

Chris Clark, a U. Illinois junior, shares an off-campus four bedroom apartment with three roommates, and together they use about $90 worth of electricity per month. Clark and his roommates have an air conditioner, but he says they only use it on really hot days.

“We don’t worry about AC … either we turn it on or we turn it off,” Clark said. “Push come to shove, I’d probably go old-school and put a box fan in the window.”

Spokesperson for Ameren Illinois Leigh Morris said in the summers there will always be an increase in electricity use. He said people tend to set their air conditioners to the lowest temperatures to cool off their homes or apartments, not realizing how much energy and money it costs.

“The more (air-conditioning) people use, the more it will cost. The less they use, the less it will cost. It’s real simple,” Morris said.

Morris said if people want to see a change in their electricity bills, they should consider adjusting their lifestyles.

Ameren Illinois provides electricity to 84,849 customers in Champaign County and sponsors a number of programs to educate people on energy conservation.

“I don’t use it a lot because I don’t want to pay for it; using the air-conditioning is my last resort,” Ben Marcus, junior in LAS, said.

For students like Yescul Hwang, junior in FAA who enjoys eating ice cream on hot summer days, saving money means a lot.

Hwang said she tries to avoid direct sunlight entering her apartment by using curtains to keep her place cool.

“Electricity can get expensive, that’s why I don’t turn on the air as often, but if it gets real hot I will turn it on,” Hwang said.

Morris challenges students to do a home audit, which is done by listing all the items in a residence that run on electricity. That includes cell phone charges, printers, televisions, night lights, fans and everything else plugged into an outlet. Morris said to unplug items that are not in use.

“Be a wise consumer, educate yourself and look for the Energy Star label on products with the highest efficiency … they will pay for themselves because they use less electricity,” Morris said.