Utility Costs
Removed: September, 2011
In order to contain Campus utility costs, departments are requested to consult with the Facilities & Services Division prior to purchasing equipment which draws on utilities.
In the past the Facilities & Services Division budget has been large enough to absorb additional utility costs from year to year. This is no longer true. The budget of that unit has been reduced substantially. Personnel in the Facilities & Services Division are doing their best to make economies wherever possible and still provide a satisfactory level of service.
One area in which savings can be effected relates to equipment which is purchased. When offices add any equipment which draw on utilities (steam, gas, or electricity), utility costs rise. Therefore, before the final decision is made to add such a piece of equipment, several questions should be considered:
- What kind of equipment would best do the job and hold utility costs to a minimum?
- How do the short-run installation costs (usually paid by the unit requesting the work) compare with the long-range utility costs (paid from the Facilities & Services Division budget)?
- Is it better to add equipment with a higher installation cost which will have low-range utility costs or add equipment with a lower installation cost which will have high long-range utility costs?
Most departments do not want to use their dwindling funds for installation costs if that can be avoided; however, the long-range costs to the campus as a whole cannot be disregarded. If more money is required for utilities each year and no new funds are added to the University budget by the State of Illinois, then other operations must be reduced.
Considering these facts, before purchasing utility-consuming equipment, departmental units are requested to consult with the Facilities & Services Division and work closely with that division to evaluate answers to the above questions. This evaluation should provide a basis for making decisions which will result in the most efficient operation and which will allow Facilities & Services to estimate increased utility costs. These estimates will be required in any efforts made to request state funds for rising utility costs.
If the suggestions from the representatives of the Facilities & Services Division are not acceptable to any departmental unit, that unit may call (333-1234). The Director of the Office for Planning, Design & Construction, who will represent the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Human Resources and act as arbitrator when necessary.
This policy is under revision. See also Facilities & Services.