Most people would appreciate a lower energy bill. It can often be the most expensive bill of the month besides your rent or mortgage payment. Your energy company may not be able to help narrow down what’s causing your bill to spike, which might have led you to wonder if you can take control of the problem on your own.
There are plenty of ways to reduce your energy usage and save money, even if you rent an apartment. There’s no need to petition your landlord for structural building changes when there are simple lifestyle changes that will make a difference starting today.
Read on to learn how to increase your apartment’s energy efficiency without breaking your budget or your lease. See if these tips fit your routine and watch how much money you’ll save with each new energy bill.
1. Hang Light-Blocking Curtains
It’s tempting to fling your curtains open every morning to enjoy some sunshine in your apartment, but that could hurt your energy usage. As more sunlight enters your home, it also heats whatever room it fills. Both the window and the natural light cause your HVAC unit to turn on frequently, so hang light-blocking curtains instead.
Enjoy the sunrise as long as you like, but when it starts to heat up outside, close your new heavy curtains. They’ll keep your apartment cool during the hottest parts of the day and match whatever interior design style you prefer.
2. Try Non-Adhesive Window Film
If you’d rather have your curtains open during the day, you can always try non-adhesive window film as a non-permanent solution to your energy problem. The film uses static to cling to your window so there’s no sticky residue left behind when you need to move. After you install it, the film will block heat from the sun during the summer and keep your home insulated during the winter.
3. Invest in Countertop Appliances
Cooking with your oven or stove may seem like a necessity, but not when you invest in countertop appliances. Small appliances like toaster ovens or instant pots use less energy to cook food and won’t heat the room, causing your HVAC fan to turn on again. Cook with a small appliance as often as you can so you limit how much energy you utilize through both your stove and your air conditioning unit.
4. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting
Certain lighting fixtures in your apartment may come with the unit, but you can always choose which bulbs you buy. Lighting is such an essential part of reducing energy that some commercial corporations construct green energy initiatives where they renovate properties specifically to install sustainable housing features like lighting.
Although you can’t alter the physical state of your apartment, you can always buy LED bulbs, which require 75% less energy than traditional incandescent lighting. While you wait for your next trip to the store, don’t forget to turn off lights when you leave a room to reduce your usage even more.
5. Adjust Your Thermostat
Your thermostat setting is a big player in what you pay your energy company every month. If you have it set to a cool setting during a hot summer day, your HVAC unit will turn on frequently to fight the outdoor heat warming your apartment.
That’s why you should raise your thermostat’s temperature in the summer and lower it in the winter. The longer your HVAC unit can rest, the more money you’ll save.
6. Buy a Door Seal
After your apartment settles to the temperature you set on your thermostat, that expensive cold air or heating can leak outside. Check your front door and any other external doors you may have to see if you can feel a draft around the bottom. If you can, you have a leak.
Door seals only cost a few dollars and slide into place without requiring permanent glue or screws. They plug any open space beneath your door so you don’t waste your air conditioning or heating, saving you more money over time.
7. Just Try a New Tip (*wink*)
You might not have used these tips in the past, but now’s the time to try. Every step you take to save money and use less energy helps your apartment become more energy efficient. Little things like switching your lightbulbs and closing your curtains can have a significant impact on your monthly electric bill, but only if you start doing them consistently every day.
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