University of Wisconsin students are eligible to receive free energy sustainability kits via the Focus on Energy Higher Education Kit Challenge until Oct. 31, according to the Office of Sustainability.

Office of Sustainability Associate Director of Sustainability Nathan Jandl said The Focus on Energy Higher Education Kit Challenge’s main initiative is to get as many student and faculty as possible to upgrade basic home items with sustainable alternatives.

“The higher ed kit challenges specifically is a challenge amongst UW and other Wisconsin colleges and universities to generate more engagement with their free energy and water savings kits that focus on energy,” Jandl said.

The Office of Sustainability has partnered with Focus on Energy, a Wisconsin energy sustainability organization, to administer the program at UW–Madison.

There are three kits students can order through Focus on Energy, which focus on either shower, bath or comfort. Essential items include faucet aerators, high-efficiency shower heads and LED light bulbs.

“These [the kits] are kinds of easy basically screw-in installs that you can do, and wherever you live,” Jandl said. “It’s basically just … low-hanging fruit when it comes to water … and energy savings in our kinds of residential situations. And these are some of the easiest things that we can do.”

The university whose campus orders the most kits by Oct. 31, is declared the winner. According to the Office of Sustainability, the winner will receive a prize of $5,000. The winner in 2022, UW–Oshkosh, received their prize mid November and put it toward on-campus sustainability projects.

According to Focus on Energy, UW–Oshkosh ordered 240 kits, reducing energy consumption by 14,000 kilowatt hours and saving them $2,000 on utility bills.

Jandl said students must live off campus to be eligible for a free kit, which can be ordered through the Focus on Energy website. According to the Office of Sustainability, students must be able to provide their electric and gas utility account numbers to receive a kit.

Students can use the code HE-UWMD to have their order count toward UW–Madison’s place in the competition. Jandl said UW–Madison is currently sitting in the middle of the standings. According to the Office of Sustainability, students have until Oct. 31 to submit an order.

Jandl said that the Focus on Energy Kits promote sustainability by ensuring students use only the energy they need.

“If you get a low flow shower head … Maybe you’re using quite a bit more water than you really need to,” Jandl said, “We can overall reduce the amount of water and energy that folks are using all around the area — that’s a positive environmental impact.”