A group of students at San Saba Middle School are learning how making just a few simple changes in their families’ energy habits can save natural resources and money through participation in the PowerHouse ™ energy investigation program sponsored by the City of San Saba. The PowerHouse energy investigation program was sponsored for sixth-grade students in Kristi Rankin’s science classes.

"I liked learning how much energy we use and how much we can save if we start to do other things to conserve resources," said Sarah Watkins, student.

"I liked PowerHouse because it was interesting that we can save up to 50 percent of the amount of water we use if we use low-flow faucets," said student Holt Oliver.

PowerHouse provides students the opportunity to learn hands-on about the impacts of energy consumption. Using a walk-through home energy audit guide, students and their parents investigate and record their households’ energy use by appliances and other features. The program teaches students about efficiency and conservation and how being energy smart at home can affect the environment and their families’ budget through lower utility bills. Information the students gather is used to produce an energy audit report that provides efficiency and conservation recommendations to be used in the home.

"PowerHouse teaches students and their families that their own bad energy habits, like keeping lights on, leaving the refrigerator door open, or setting the thermostat too low on hot summer days, can waste natural resources and cost additional money on their monthly electric bills," said Stan Weik, city manager, City of San Saba. "They learn that by making simple changes, each of us can help reduce the overall demand for water and electricity and help ensure that there is enough for many generations to come."

During the 2008-2009 school year, about 5,000 students learned how to use less energy and save natural resources, thanks to PowerHouse presentations in 50 schools with 29 utility sponsors. LCRA developed the program and offers it to its wholesale electric customers.