The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is currently leading in the Higher Ed Kit Challenge, a race between the UW-System schools to see who can get the highest number of individuals to sign up. 

The kit challenge brings the opportunity to all students and staff of the UW system to receive one free kit full of products aiming to improve energy and water efficiency in their home. 

The kit challenge was developed by Focus on Energy, an organization dedicated to helping Wisconsin residents and businesses make smart energy choices, and each sign up gains the university one point. 

“This kit challenge was developed by Focus on Energy and was offered to all UW system schools as a way to engage students and employees across the state via their institution about energy efficiency,” said Bradly Spanbauer, the sustainability director at UWO. 

These kinds of opportunities have been run before as a way to offer individuals a way to lower their bills as well as their carbon footprint.

Signing up for a free kit offers things like LED light bulbs, weather stripping, low-flow faucet heads or aerators for sinks and showers. 

“This lowers their water and electric bills, reduces their emissions, and saves them money! It is a win-win-win situation!” said Spanbauer. 

Spanbauer’s hope is that the kits will provide relief from “increased energy costs” going into winter and also bring “an awareness about energy and water efficiency improvements” that Focus on Energy is providing for free.

Focus on Energy is also providing $5,000 in Focus on Energy incentive dollars for the school with the most entries by Oct. 31. The $5,000 will go towards energy efficiency projects for campus.  

To sign up for a free higher ed kit visit, focusonenergymarketplace.com/free using promo code HE-UWO.