Faced by skyrocketing heat prices, townhouse residents are being forced to bundle up due to the increase in natural gas prices and abnormally cold weather this winter. Students residing in the townhouses received unusually high utility bills for the month of December, reflecting the increase in gas prices. Some bills have doubled from November to December, often rising from $100 to $200, and many students feel as if they have to live with virtually no heat to keep prices down. Gary Stephenson, director of housing, said that the university did not learn of the increase until it received the bill from Southern Connecticut Gas Company. Stephenson said that housing receives one lump bill for natural gas and divides it among the townhouse units, according to use. “We don’t make any money on it,” he said. “We send the exact figure to the student.” Brent Nowicki ’01 said that although he understands that they are affected by the increase, he wants the university to provide them with itemized bills. “Housing doesn’t tell us how much we use, just how much we owe.” Students are also questioning the new apartment complex and the difference in payment plans between it and the townhouses. While the townhouses are billed monthly, the apartments pay a flat rate at the beginning of the year. Stephenson pointed out that although both are considered independent living, the apartments are controlled by outside units, while the townhouses independently control their own heat. As a result of the many complaints the Housing Department received, Stephenson sent out conservation tips to the residents:

* During the day, keep all curtains open on the sunny side of the house and all curtains closed on the darker side of the house. In the evening, keep all curtains closed. * Set your thermostat to a comfortable temperature, between 65 and 68 degrees, and set the fan switch to “auto.” This will allow the furnace to come on only when the temperature goes below the set temperature. * In rooms that are seldom used, close the vents. This will allow the heat to flow more efficiently from rooms that are used more. But some students have complaints about the conservation tips issued by the Housing Department. “They [Housing] tell us to keep the windows and doors closed, but every window and door has drafts – heat escapes from them all of the time,” Nowicki said. Jen Logan ’02 agrees, “My bed is by the window, and I have to sleep with extra blankets every night because the draft is so bad.” Stephenson said he is considering different payment options for residents next year. As soon as the 2001-2002 academic year, townhouse residents may be offered a flat rate similar to the traditional residence halls. Townhouse and apartment residents may also be charged an estimated average of utilities for the year, then later be reimbursed or pay the University the difference at the end of the year.