Off-Campus Living: Energy & Water
If living off-campus, you can make sustainable choices regarding your utility usage and sourcing.
Energy
Sources: Duquesne Light and Peoples Natural Gas are the utilities that deliver your electricity and natural gas, respectively, in the City of Pittsburgh. However, across Pennsylvania, residents can choose where they buy their energy from, even when renting.
Specific to electricity, this means you can choose to purchase renewable electricity. PA Power Switch can help you determine which energy provider is right for you — and how to make the switch happen.
Uses When seeking an apartment, , you may want to consider if heat and appliances are electric or gas-powered, which can impact cost, environmental impact, and individual health.
ENERGY STAR appliances will help save energy, helping reduce your utility use.
Energy Saving Tips:
- Enable energy saving modes on your electronics, especially your computer.
- Washing your clothes in cold water can reduce laundry energy usage by up to 90%.
- When you aren’t home, keep your blinds or curtains open in winter and closed in summer.
- Unplug appliances when not in use.
- Pitt Climate Action Plan – How You Can Help at Home.
- Pitt Student Green Guide Energy & Water Conservation Tips
- Easy energy saving tips for apartments & rental homes (U.S. Department of Energy)
Water
Use: The University of Pittsburgh is actively striving to reduce water usage — and you can to! Conserve water by turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth, shortening your shower time (aim for 5 minutes or shorter), and only doing full loads of laundry.
On-Campus: The University strictly maintains water quality on campus — and performs regular testing.
Most homes in the City of Pittsburgh where students live get water from Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority (PWSA) which constantly monitors water quality to ensure drinking water in compliance with state and federal regulations.
PWSA’s focus on providing cleaner drinking water has been nationally recognized, including concentration on replacing all lead service lines city-wide by 2026.
If you are concerned about lead pipes at your residence, check out PWSA’s interactive map and request a free lead test kit if it does. If the test shows elevated levels of contamination, PWSA will send you a free water filter to use.
