The element of cold is something that has knowingly plagued the city of Maryville this winter harder than in recent history. Along with cold comes higher heating bills which students and families struggle to pay.
Students who live off campus find themselves paying up to $200 to $300 throughout the winter months just to keep warm at night.
Junior Lauren Gobet and senior Stephanie Bruning are roommates off campus and find themselves battling the high price of heat this winter.
“Last year I had a brand new house, and it was a two story house and the electric bill was never over $70,” Gobet said. “This year we have an old house, and it has terrible windows. The heating bill was $219 this month.”
Bruning attempts to accomplish everything she can to conserve energy around the house to keep the electricity bill as low as possible for her electricity heated home.
“I try to be the electricity flea, we try to always keep the heat low,” Bruning said.
Students tend to find difficulty budgeting when they plan for the year ahead. Most do not take into consideration the variety of heating costs in the winter.
“It’s hard because you think you have an idea of what you’re utilities will be at the beginning of the year and then you get a bill in December and you think, what the freak happened,” Bruning said.
Permanent Maryville residents, such as Rose Viau and her family of five have taken necessary precautions against the blistering cold.
“We had the chance to do renovations and put in a lot of insulations. We replaced a lot of windows and put in new doors. All those kinds of things that will help with your heating costs,” Viau said.
Viau is thankful for getting the opportunity to prepare her home for such intense winter chills.
“I think it’s really helped with the temperature. It must have been really, really cold in there,” Viau said.
The Empire District Electric Company, Maryville’s main home heat provider, lends words of advice to anyone who is struggling to pay the high heating bills.
“You just have to watch the thermostat. That may mean putting on an extra pair of socks and heavier sweater,” Amy Bass, director of cooperate communications at Empire, said.
“Install weather stripping around doors and windows so that you keep the drafts out.”
Junior Chad Stephens, who lives in a two-bedroom gas powered house, takes the proper precautions when saving energy, keeping his gas bill at an average of $70 a month.
“For a while, we were just bundling up wearing sweatpants and sweatshirts, keeping the temperature at 76,” Stephens said. “Now we just bite the bullet because we get so cold and move the dial.”
Gobet and Bruning both feel as though it is the landlord’s responsibility to help insulate the house properly for winter, something they have struggled with.
“We complain about the door and the windows, like in our room, you can put your hand up to the window and feel the cold air come in,” Gobet said.
“He just doesn’t do much for us. We tried, we called. Some landlords are really good about it, just not ours.”
Bruning has learned from her budgeting errors of the past two months.
“Budget for December,” she said.
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