LETTER: Housing doesn’t need to raise rates
Dear Editor,
Friday’s issue of the Statesman included an article about a possible rate increase for USU Housing. That article was confusing, and some things need to be clarified. It would be understandable for the standard rates for single housing to be raised because of the rising utility costs – those students’ utilities are included in their regular housing payment. Family housing charges for electricity and gas separately. Everyone in family housing is billed for gas through Questar, not Housing.
Electricity is a little bit different. Those living in the Aggie Village Family Triads are billed for electricity through Housing in addition to their regular rent payment. Those in the Aggie Village Townhouses (like myself), West Stadium Villa and the Mobile Home Park are billed for electricity directly through the City of Logan, not Housing. So, really, all this article should have said was that Housing Services may have to raise its utility rates, not housing fees in general.
Since everyone else is raising their rates, I wouldn’t be surprised if Housing did as well. Marshall Thompson’s article made it sound as if everyone’s housing fees could go up as a result of the problems in California, which isn’t so. If my monthly rent payment goes up, and I’m told it is because of rising utility rates, I really have to question Housing’s position on that. Also, Mr. Ringle’s quote about conserving energy should be directed toward single housing students. If Housing fees go up for single students, it’s pretty much their own fault because they are not always aware of their actual gas and electricity usage – since they are not billed for it directly every month. What those students conserve will help keep fees down in future years.
Nothing I do to conserve energy in family housing will help what future students will pay, since my rent doesn’t include electricity or gas. By the way, those “Conserve Energy” stickers are still on many of the light switches all over campus. It wouldn’t hurt any of us to pay attention to them once in a while.
Barry Harmon