The Rushford-Peterson School District has lowered its energy costs thanks to some new technology that was installed last year.
                   
The district installed 35 programmable thermostats in the high school that have been set at 67 degrees during the day and 55 degrees at night and on weekends.

CleanEnergyResourceTeams.com reports last winter, which was the first winter since installing the programmable thermostats, the school's heating bill was cut in half of the previous year.

Over the last six years the average yearly heating cost was just over $67,000 to heat the school buildings for six months out of the year.

The thermostats cost just over $5,000 and half of that was paid for with an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant.

The website does point out that last winter was very mild and they haven't determined yet how much of the savings was strictly due to the new thermostats.