Saving money is always a good thing! Here are a few tips and
tricks for keeping your utility bills under control all year.
All-Season Savings
• Most utility companies charge different rates at
different times of day to encourage people to conserve energy. Use
your big appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers in the
evening during off-peak times and pay less.
• Remove your apartment's existing shower head with a
low-flow model. When it's time to move, switch the shower head back
to the original.
• Save money on every flush by displacing water in your
toilet tank. Fill a bottle with gravel or sand, put the lid on
tight, and place it in the toilet tank. This way the tank will fill
up with less water and you flush less money.
• Use CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs. They last
longer and they are more energy efficient. Also, don't forgot to
turn off the lights when you leave a room.
• Your fridge uses the most energy of all your appliances.
Make sure it is running efficiently by keeping the coils on the
back dusted. Check the condition of your fridge, e.g. do the door
seals seal? Is it keeping food properly cold? If there is an issue,
contact your landlord and ask for repairs.
• Use power bars to avoid spending money on phantom power,
which is the power your appliances use even when not turned on. A
power bar allows you to plug several items into one spot and then
easily turn them off with a switch on the bar.
Cold Weather Saving Strategies
• Put on a sweater!
• If you like your bedroom warm, use a space heater to
warm it up 15 minutes before bed. Make sure you turn the heater off
as they are expensive to run. If you want to be warm all night,
invest in an electric blanket.
• When it's cold outside, humidity will make your
apartment feel warmer. Put bowls or pans of water on, or near, the
radiator so the water will evaporate.
• If your apartment has radiators, line the walls behind
them with aluminum foil. This will help disperse the
heat.
• If you have a drafty door, install a door sweep along
the bottom to block cold air. You could also use draft stoppers
which are made specifically to go along the bottom of doors and
windows to block cold air. Buy one or make your own.
• Make sure your sofa, bookshelves, etc. aren't covering
up vents or baseboard heaters.
• Use insulated curtains to keep the cold out. Close your
curtains at night.
• If there is a draft coming in through the wall outlets,
then remove the faceplate and put insulating foam inside to block
the cold air.
• Insulate your windows by using temporary plastic window
coverings. You can buy kits at most hardware stores.
Hot Weather Strategies
• Keep your apartment cool by cooking smart. The oven
heats up your kitchen and the rest of your home, so avoid using it
during the summer. If you need to cook something, try using either
a toaster oven, crockpot, electric skillet, microwave oven, or if
possible, BBQ.
• Install ceiling fans if you don't already have them. A
ceiling fan won't cool down your apartment, but it will make you
feel cooler when you are underneath it. To save on electricity,
turn them off when you aren't home.
• Even if you have central air conditioning, consider
using a window air conditioning unit to cool the rooms that get the
hottest. For example, if your home office is a hot spot then use a
window unit rather than spending a lot of money cooling the whole
apartment. When you are done work for the day, turn it off. Make
sure you keep the filter clean for optimal efficiency.
• Turn off your thermostat and open your widows for a cool
breeze. Try sleeping with the windows open (unless it's too noisy
outside).
• If you have a washer and dryer in your apartment, stop
using the dryer; they are energy suckers and produce a lot of heat.
Put your clothes on a drying rack set up either on your balcony or
in a part of your apartment that has good air
circulation.
• If you are out during the day, leave your drapes or
blinds closed. This will keep the sun from heating up your
rooms.