Government

Turn off the Lights: Federal Government Utility Bills Cost Taxpayers Millions

“Why do they leave all those lights on?”  I hear this question from my parents nearly every time they come to visit me in Washington, D.C.

Government buildings in D.C. notoriously leave lots of lights on at night, which is not only a big waste of energy, but also a huge waste of money. (And when it comes to government buildings, we all know who gets to pay those electricity bills.)

So how much does this careless waste of resources cost taxpayers? One reporter from WUSA-TV sought to find out and to see how much room there is for improvement.

Through the Freedom of Information Act, WUSA’s Andrea McCarren discovered that the electricity alone for these bureaucratic headquarters costs taxpayers millions of dollars every month.

The low end is about $200,000 a month. The high end more than a million. One month’s electricity bill at the Department of Labor topped a MILLION dollars. That was a bill paid in July of last year. The month before, the department paid a bill of nearly $700,000. And utility costs of that magnitude are not unusual. …

“It doesn‘t matter whether it’s a dollar or $700. The fact that there are any late payments indicates mismanagement,” said Tom Schatz, President of Citizens Against Government Waste.

“Turning off the lights is about the simplest way that the government can save money. There is no excuse not to do this on a regular basis,” said Schatz.

The cost of running government buildings is one thing, but last March, ABC News also noted how taxpayers are also footing the bill to maintain crumbling buildings that sit empty — many of which sit on land worth millions.

Right in the heart of Washington, D.C., sits Federal Building Number 8 — taxpayer owned and empty since 2002. The building doesn’t look like much, but the real estate couldn’t be more prime. The Capitol building is so close you can see it reflected in its windows.

The property alone is worth $100 million but the government is not making a penny off the building — which stretches an entire city block.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is in charge of this building and many others and says that the government vacancy rate is actually lower than the private sector’s. The GSA says it has plans to renovate the building, but it has sat empty for almost a decade.

“We had to wait to get funding for design and construction from Congress, that’s the way this thing works,” Bob Peck, GSA commissioner of public buildings, said.

Comments (89)

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  • Jscools
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 8:51pm

    George Bush!

    Report Post » Jscools  
  • mlee3980
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 8:46pm

    talk about waste what about tissue paper kleenex pencils toilet seats. why isnt someone looking into this. that can save a lot of money probably even balance the budget.

    Report Post »  
  • kickagrandma
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 8:28pm

    Turn off the lights, your party’s over.

    Also, ground all AIR FORCE I’s and helicopters. Let the man take public transportation or better still, some of the hybrid junk mobiles he so highly supports. Or, walk!

    Report Post »  
  • TexOkie
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 8:14pm

    Just like your house and mine, the big cost is in heating and cooling. Not lights. But every bit counts.

    Report Post »  
  • ChiefGeorge
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 8:11pm

    We are unsustainable. I just came from an enormous Army building that is only 1.5 years old and has very few people working in it. I guess its time to staff those empty desks up!

    Report Post » ChiefGeorge  
  • Zcat
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 8:07pm

    The gov don‘t care it’s not their money thats being spent!

    Report Post »  
  • Lucifers Hammer
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 7:57pm

    Dear Government,
    It’s time you awoke to the fact that you work for me, not the other way around. And that you are spending my money.
    I hereby demand that no government building be allowed to be heated higher than 60 degrees in the winter, and you may no longer use Air Conditioning at all. There was no AC until 6 decades ago and everyone got along fine.
    I demand that all government employees, no matter how high up and important must use commercial transportation and sit in the cheapest seats available.
    I demand that all government cars not be equipped with AC, nor anything extra except for an AM radio.
    I demand that all government building have only fluorescent lighting and that it be illegal to have any incandescent bulbs or any kind for any government use except for the military.
    I demand that whenever there is a public transportation option, no matter how inconvenient or long the wait, as long as it is available, government employees must use it for business transportation. If government employees choose to use their own form of transportation it will be illegal to seek reimbursement for said transportation.
    I demand that any government employee who wastes energy or dollars either willfully or by mistake or omission, will be fined a year’s worth of salary or one year in a hard-labor jail.
    We, the American people, have reached the end of our charitable rope. You work for us and will no longer be permitted to feed off of our productivity and incomes. You are leeches. You are parasites. You work for us. And we will fire you when we feel like it.

    Report Post » Lucifers Hammer  
  • Paleo Archer
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 7:39pm

    Back in the day…in the military, we we’re VERY aware of turning lights out….running vehicles for 20-30 years….now I see Govt licensed vehicle’s FLYING down the road….I say give incentives for each agency that can reduce their budgets year by year….Incentive?…they get to keep their freakin jobs.!

    Report Post » Paleo Archer  
  • azmomof6
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 7:27pm

    I’m on a plan that charges less money to use the electricity during off peak hours. It‘s only 3 hours a day that are peak hours so we don’t use the electricity (3-6p.m.). Can’t the government arrange their schedule to save a little money and energy? It’s made a big difference for me. Last August, before I started the plan, my electric bill was nearly $900. That was when I kept my air conditioner at 80 degrees. I was surprised at how expesnsive it was since my house is only about 3 years old and has a very high efficiency rating. I couldn’t afford to pay that every month, so I contacted my power company to see what I could do. I made a few adjustments, such as turning my ac setting to 85 degrees and turning off completely all tv, computer, washer, dryer, and ac from 3-6p.m. That brought my bill down to about $350 the next month. It’s been a little inconvenient, especially since my kids have to stay up later to do the portion of their homework that requires the computer, but it has definately saved me money. Now why can’t goverment offices do that?

    Report Post »  
  • mcpbob
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 7:27pm

    they lecture us on how we have to save electricity, to cut back… but they go full throttle…. thats why its all a scam, every line, every word, every thing they say, is a LIE, a scam, all bullcrap

    Report Post » mcpbob  
  • justice
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 7:24pm

    Go to using one lamp like the rest of American taxpayers have resorted to. We use little night lites. Gov’t get rid of the abuse.

    Report Post »  
    • beebacksoon
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 7:50pm

      That’s funny, well, not really. I use night lights, too. No need to WASTE ELECTRICITY I can’t afford to pay!

      Report Post »  
  • beenaroundyaknow
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 7:06pm

    Lights are just part of the bill. In a typical office bldg lighting accounts for about 30-35% of the utility bill. Do these bldgs have set back thermostats or are they airconditioned and heated 24×7 and on the weekends. Typical clueless bureaucrats with lip serice to the public. Here’s one thing O could send out an executive order on to shape up and fire any supervisor with three audit gigs.

    Report Post »  
  • fertlmind
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 7:06pm

    A Thousand points of light? HAAAAAAH
    it’s more like BILLIONS!

    Report Post » fertlmind  
  • ottb
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 7:00pm

    You mean to tell me there isn’t a union janitor making $250,000 a year to shut the lights off? Or perhaps there is, but it’s not in his job description.

    Report Post » ottb  
    • shorthanded12
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 7:14pm

      The sad part about it if they tryed to fire the bumb rest assure he could quote the dayum union by law and say you cant fire me with out a hearing and than sit at home collecting his whole dayum paycheck until his hearing 3 months down the road.

      Report Post »  
    • Chris
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:48pm

      All of the cleaning staff that work at the Federal site where I work are contractors along with the people that cut the grass, shovel the snow, and do a lot of the maintenance work.

      Report Post »  
  • 60yroldfemale
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:52pm

    I used to joke that if we sold NASA to Disney we would all be riding in a space shuttle. “keep your hands inside the windows and wear your seat belts, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.”
    I worked for the Feds (DOD0 in the eighty’s in Germany)
    I worked in a craft shop, great place for the troops to do something on their off time.
    They sold supplies to the users and part of my job was to do a monthly inventory of the supplies. Silly civilian me I counted everything that was there and the put that against what the last inventory said. I came up with a shortage of $11K. They transferred me to another location (they wanted to fire me, but I had connections). There were subtle threats that I should learn to work in the government way.
    I went to work for a private company, cause I can’t work that stupid.

    Report Post »  
    • usmc6570
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 7:39pm

      As a lifelong resident of the area I have seen the lights on everyday of my life. They are putting motion sensor switches in new construction and remodel in the offices but they have an override. I have in and around the government in DC and if people actually saw the waste, fraud, and abuse within the government. I have seen so many workers doing nothing at all except talking on the phone, surfing the internet, hanging in the hallways. 10% of the people doing 90% of the work. Government employment is part of the nanny state and this would never happen if the government was run as a private job.

      Report Post »  
  • cykonas
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:50pm

    Anybody know how to stop this? I suggest you consult your copy of the Constitution. The solution is in there. What do the following agencies have in common?
    Dept. of Labor
    Dept. of Energy
    Dept. of Commerce
    Dept. of Agriculture
    Dept. of Education
    Dept. of Transportation
    Dept. of Health and Human Services
    Dept. of Housing and Urban Development
    Other depts., agencies, bureaus, commissions, etc. too numerous to mention

    Not a one of them falls within the scope of the specifically enumerated Constitutional authority of the Federal Government. So, close them down. Sell the buildings. Use some of the savings, temporarily, to assist the misplaced employees find real employment in the private sector. We can not only save the electricity and other utility expenses, we can use the rest of the money from the sale of the buildings and real estate to pay down the deficit. Real estate is very expensive in the DC area. Now, seriously, isn’t that just the stupidest, most naive suggestion you’ve ever heard? That’s what “they” would say.

    Report Post » cykonas  
  • shorthanded12
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:49pm

    To sit and watch whats going on in Eygpt, Tunisa, Greece, Lebanon, makes one wonder if those events will be in our streets, Scary times we live in.

    Report Post »  
  • red penny
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:30pm

    Maybe if we turned the lights off in many of these places and left them off we would be better off.

    Report Post »  
  • Slobaphobe
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:27pm

    The gravy train is over. Turn off the lights, turn down the heat and eliminate air conditioning. Vote for me in 2012.

    Report Post »  
  • JROCCOD
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:24pm

    This is off the subject. Go to Atlas Shrugs and read Pam Geller’s peice on Rep. Peter King (R-NY)
    knuckleing under to CAIR. As chairman of the HLS committee he is going to chair hearing on radical islamic threat. However, he is NOT calling any preemminent experts on islam such as Robert Spencer or anyone from the intelligence service, he is just going to call on, get this, islamists for testimony. He plans on calling Rep Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) as an “expert” on islam. BS business as usual. King goes in the RINO collumn. He is as fake as a three dollar bill. He actually let CAIR intimidate him. Disgraceful!!!!!

    Report Post »  
    • shorthanded12
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:55pm

      Funny you should bring that subjet up, take a look at the different CAIR (Chapters) websites and take a look at the discrimation lawsuits they have listed. They come here wanting to live in OUR country but trying to use our judical system against us. Costing taxpayer boat loads of money for public defenders and BS payouts to settle these things. Talk about spreading the wealth.

      Report Post »  
  • Diane TX
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:18pm

    “It doesn‘t matter whether it’s a dollar or $700. The fact that there are any late payments indicates mismanagement,” said Tom Schatz, President of Citizens Against Government Waste.”
    _________________________________________________________________________

    That’s true. Why should we pay late payment fees on top of what we’re already paying? Sounds like the clerical staff has a poor manager/supervisor.

    Report Post »  
    • beebacksoon
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 7:40pm

      We all know the government pays bills on THEIR terms, regardless of what the vendor’s invoice states.
      Hey, prez…how about practicing what you preach and install solar panels, windmills, and all other “green” crap to every federal building, hmmmmmmmmm?

      Report Post »  
    • beebacksoon
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 7:44pm

      P.S. And make every one, assigned a government vehicle, drive the award-winning GM Volt – and make sure they all have GPS so their movements can be tracked.

      Report Post »  
    • 8jrts
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 8:17pm

      Beeback Great idea, but didn’t you hear? The solar panel plant that got half billion of our tax $$s in stimulus had to lay off workers. And I would rather see all the gov workers driving those tiny little “Mr Bean” type cars with no trunk….and no protection from being rear ended. Those cars don’t use much gas at all. I’ll tailgate with my Hemi.
      Ooopps…..sorry….that rhetoric slipped out again.

      Report Post » 8jrts  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:15pm

    That most likely is just the parts they will either admit to, or others can justify charging to them for the lights, parts, upkeep, etc. When it comes to beaurocratic waste, nothing is too outlandish to happen or discover.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • cheezwhiz
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:07pm

    “We had to wait to get funding for design and construction from Congress, that’s the way this thing works,” Bob Peck, GSA commissioner of public buildings, said.
    ——————–

    Sell it to Trump.
    Everything will work.
    And make money too

    Report Post » cheezwhiz  
    • Diane TX
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:14pm

      Great idea!

      Report Post »  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:26pm

      Excellent.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • WhiteFang
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:53pm

      This is what they will do, Hire a new government agency to hire a staff of hundreds, even thousands of high payed employees to make sure all the lights are turned off at night. They could call it the “Lights Off Bureau of the United States of America”

      Report Post » WhiteFang  
  • NickDeringer
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:07pm

    We the enslaved US taxpayer want off Uncle Sam’s plantation.

    Report Post » NickDeringer  
    • Dustyluv
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 7:54pm

      Don’t worry, China will be your new massa soon…

      Report Post »  
    • Cemoto78
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 8:05pm

      Sad, but true. I will be taking Chinese lessons this year instead of Spanish.

      Report Post » Cemoto78  
  • temple62
    Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:04pm

    Millions in overnight light electricity bills bit its just business as usual, the lights are on but no one is home! Looks at the millions wasted even when these buildings are occupied! These department serve no positive purpose and should be dismantled! And a gullible public is told to help the help by not buying happy-meals; junks used cars; and to cough in you sleeve – my Gawd what a mess Obama and his lack-luster, sock puppets have caused!

    Report Post » temple62  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:13pm

      Should this kind of waste come as any suprise to anyone; the entity known as the Federal Gov. needs to be given a massive weight loss program. What is needed we can streamline and reduce to the barest essential parts; what can be gotten rid of, do so.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • NeoFan
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:18pm

      How do you get a government worker who cannot be fired for any reason whatsoever to get in the habit of turning off a light? I predict you will see more and more lights in those buildings as a sort of middle finger to the masses. They are making 200 to 600k and couldn’t care less what Americans think. There can be no successful downsizing of the fed. Agencies must be eliminated en masse.

      Report Post »  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:21pm

      @Neofan

      Agree, if your job is guaranteed, then you have no incentive to increase productivity, efficiency or to cut waste away. Same old tale throughout history indeed. Unlike a private or public business that has gotten too massive and then collapses under its own inefficiency or corrects the errors and gets rid of the bad, the Fed and many State governments are immune and oblivious to this simple reality.

      The Fed is too big, and the bad parts need to be gotten rid of, now.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • cheezwhiz
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:23pm

      Are you telling me that government “workers” don’t care about the environment ?
      I’m shocked, shocked I tell you !

      Report Post » cheezwhiz  
    • RightWrite
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:32pm

      If we forced 50% cut in spending tomorrow, nothing would change in the amount of work we get out of all government agencies — the gov workers would just work twice as hard and still get nothing done.

      Report Post » RightWrite  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:37pm

      @Cheezwhiz

      The sardonic humor of your post is dead on, great job.

      I have a thought, how about for any one worker hired by the Fed’s, three jobs are eliminated, starting from the very top offices and then working down the food chain. Also, any funds spent on salaries of the eliminated jobs be applied directly onto the national debt.

      I know it would only start making a small dent in the debt; yet we need to start somewhere.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Cemoto78
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:39pm

      Do as I say, not as I do…….

      Report Post » Cemoto78  
    • shorthanded12
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 6:45pm

      According to Rand Paul on Neil Cavuto’s show today the federal government has $19 billion of unused property in DC. The waste in DC today is starting to make those $500.00 hammers look like chump change.

      Report Post »  
    • CatB
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 7:26pm

      They could put them on sensors .. but then the government workers would have to “move” to keep the lights on! Really this is so crazy when we are getting lectures (SOTU) about “green” energy and light bulbs …. UGH!

      Report Post »  
    • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 7:40pm

      I have always been taught to turn off lights/electrical items when not using them, when I was in the military, I always told my guys to turn off the equipment, lights, etc.. before leaving for the day. Now, we get nastygrams from computer support if we don’t leave our computer on at the end of the day, so they can run backups and push out security patches. There is absolutely no incentive to be “Green” or save in the Govt. Drives me crazy.

      Report Post » Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
    • Dustyluv
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 7:53pm

      I live next to some Gmen…They laugh about the overtime they “work”…needless to say, they don’t like me much…I tell it like it is and they really don’t like hearing it.

      Dont just shut off the lights. Close the whole damn thing down!

      Report Post »  
    • Secret Squirrel
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 8:19pm

      It’s the mentality.
      If we don’t spend it this year, we won’t get it next year.

      Spend, spend, spend.

      Only we can stop them.

      Report Post » Secret Squirrel  
    • Chris
      Posted on January 26, 2011 at 11:01pm

      Neofan, Normal government employees aren’t making $200 – $600K A GS15-10 (the top of the GS schedule) makes just about $150K. Senior executives, the high end political employees, etc. make up to about $175K
      Where I work the newer buildings or recent rehabs have motion sensors in the hall and offices that turn the lights off automatically when nobody is around. The HVAC system sets back in the evening, too.

      We’ve been trying to close a building for years and when they finally had a plan to close it our completely one of the local cities made a fuss because they were going to lose the income tax from the people that work there (This building is across the street from the rest of the site but is in a different city, so moving out of the old building into the other buildings moves people to a different city..
      GSA still owns the building even though we don’t use it anymore.

      Report Post »  
    • Jackers
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 7:27am

      With our ruling class, it’s do as we say, not as we do… Constantly instructing all of us to cut back on our energy use to the point of ridiculous mercury light bulbs while they “shine away”… Truly pathetic.

      Report Post » Jackers  
    • grandmaof5
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 8:23am

      Wait, I thought those crappy light bulbs were supposed to save money, and the only thing we ever had to worry about was calling the hazmat people to come dispose of them when they break and mercury spills everywhere. What about the garbage dumps? They are going to become toxic and kill birds. Where is the EPA’s outrage? I forgot, it’s GE and China, that’s all that matters, workers of the world unite…….

      Report Post »  
    • MadeintheUSA2
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 11:48am

      I visited DC about 2 years ago and noticed that immediately. I could understand if lights were on for cleaning crews but did not see one person–just all federal buildings lite up like a Christmas tree.

      Following is another issue that needs some serious attention and could easily fit into many stories that Beck talks about…I sent a letter to Beck and Stu a couple of days ago and will just assume due to volume of mail received, they did not see it. The link is below and is a site that links you to the State Treasury of each state…you can search for “missing” money.

      Many government entities, local, state and federal have money sitting unclaimed. This applies to businesses, unions, colleges, hospitals, and individuals. Do not forget, if checking for people, use maiden names, previous states, and cities.

      I found many people I know during the search. Check it out and hope you all find some money for yourselves or someone you know. BTW–this is NOT my site, just a site I had all but forgot about until a few days ago.

      http://www.unclaimed.org/

      Report Post »  
    • TexasCommonSense
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:35pm

      They will mandate the use of CFL lighting for the serfs, but don’t have common sense enough to turn off the lights at night. Why should they care? It’s our money, not theirs, which will be used to pay their electric bill.

      Report Post » TexasCommonSense  
    • EnoughBS
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 4:41pm

      Waste not, want not?!

      Report Post » EnoughBS  
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