Improving
energy efficiency in your apartment requires attention to the same details as
in a condominium or a house. Lighting, airflow, power use, and insulation are
all vital elements that can help you save energy. As a renter, you lack full
control over your property, which makes remediation of some efficiency
shortcomings more difficult, but there are few steps you can either follow
yourself, or recommend them to your landlord.
Use window treatments and shades for efficient management of heat transference. Shades, curtains and blinds can easily control heat that enters your apartment, which is important if your apartment relies on energy-draining ACs for summer cooling. In winters, it is best to close window shades and drapes at night to prevent heat loss. During summer, close the shades on your sunny windows to stop solar heat from entering your apartment thereby lowering the cooling burden on air conditioning units.
Check your windows and doors for drafts. Air leaks can be a big efficiency drain, and add substantially to your cooling and heating costs. Move a lit candle around the window or door and closely watch any disruptions to the flame. Even though only your landlord can replace the inefficient doors and windows, but you can still use weather stripping or caulk to fill in all holes and patch few leaks. The best way to go is to review your rental agreement and discuss about permissible improvements with your property manager.
If your thermostat has timer, you can set it
for energy savings. Lower the temperature or program it to turn off your climate
control system when your apartment is vacant. Lowering the temperature by 8-15
degrees can easily reduce your cooling and heating cost by up to 20 percent
annually. If any apartment room is unused, close the vents and doors of the
room to reduce overall workload on you climate-control system.
Cook smartly in your kitchen and vent all excess heat. Don’t leave your stovetop or oven on for longer duration than necessary in summer. In small apartments, cooking heat in kitchens builds up quickly forcing your air conditioning unit to work harder to reduce the increasing temperature. Keep the oven closed when turned on, and avoid using larger burners for cooking smaller pots. If there’s an exhaust fan in your kitchen, use it to vent all excess cooking heat to outdoors. You can also use your bathroom fan to draw out humid air.
Use your appliances in an efficient way. If you’re using your own appliances in apartment, buy only energy-efficient ones. Assess the cooling capacity (in BTU/hour) and the required size (in cubic feet) of air conditioning units and refrigerators. Refrigerator with manual defrosting option can save significant amount of energy as compared to automatic counterparts. Turn off the anti-condensation heater around your refrigerator door to save electricity.
The easiest way to reduce your electricity bills is by replacing incandescent bulbs with LED lights or compact fluorescent lamps.
Invest in gadgets that save power. Get rid of all gadgets that drain power even when not in use. Some appliances and electronics have “standby” modes in which they continue to draw small amounts of power, usually for nonessential functions like timers or clocks. Over the course of a year, even these small energy drains can really add up. So, unplug appliances and electronics after use. To make this habit easier, plug them into east to turn off and on power strips.
Cook smartly in your kitchen and vent all excess heat. Don’t leave your stovetop or oven on for longer duration than necessary in summer. In small apartments, cooking heat in kitchens builds up quickly forcing your air conditioning unit to work harder to reduce the increasing temperature. Keep the oven closed when turned on, and avoid using larger burners for cooking smaller pots. If there’s an exhaust fan in your kitchen, use it to vent all excess cooking heat to outdoors. You can also use your bathroom fan to draw out humid air.
Use your appliances in an efficient way. If you’re using your own appliances in apartment, buy only energy-efficient ones. Assess the cooling capacity (in BTU/hour) and the required size (in cubic feet) of air conditioning units and refrigerators. Refrigerator with manual defrosting option can save significant amount of energy as compared to automatic counterparts. Turn off the anti-condensation heater around your refrigerator door to save electricity.
The easiest way to reduce your electricity bills is by replacing incandescent bulbs with LED lights or compact fluorescent lamps.
Invest in gadgets that save power. Get rid of all gadgets that drain power even when not in use. Some appliances and electronics have “standby” modes in which they continue to draw small amounts of power, usually for nonessential functions like timers or clocks. Over the course of a year, even these small energy drains can really add up. So, unplug appliances and electronics after use. To make this habit easier, plug them into east to turn off and on power strips.
If
you’re looking for apartments for rent in
Albany, Georgia, then you must follow these energy-saving protocols. The
summer months can be expensive, and these easy tips will save you a lot of
money and headaches. College Park Apartments
is an Albany Georgia student housing community that provides student living
within walking distance from Darton College.
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