For economic savings and environmental protection, everyone should use less energy. Instilling energy-saving practices at home is easier if you own the property, but what about if you rent your home? Do you have any methods for lowering your home’s energy consumption?
The truth is that you can manage your rental home’s energy bills whether you lease or own it. According to the Upkeep Media team, there are simple things you can do as a renter to significantly lower your energy costs. The best part is that you can accomplish this on a budget and without breaking your lease agreement.
The only requirement is that you must be diligent in your energy-saving practices. You might need to adjust your way of living. Here are some pointers to get you going.
1. Talk to your landlord
Inquire with the property manager and landlord about any necessary energy upgrades for the property, such as installing energy-efficient lighting, window tinting, energy-saving faucets and showerheads, Energy Star-rated appliances, and room-specific ceiling fans.
2. Watch out for leaks
Because they don’t directly endanger your property, dripping toilets and leaking faucets are not regarded as emergencies. Nevertheless, a leaky faucet that drips at a rate of one drip per second will lose more than 3,000 gallons of water annually. More than 100 showers can be taken with that amount of water. Inform the landlord right away if there are leaks.
3. Turn off unused lights
Rooms that are empty should have their lights turned off. Making this work can be a little difficult if there are young children and teenagers living in the house. But you can come up with inventive ways to convince your family to support this.
4. Replace the HVAC air filter regularly
It is frequently the tenant’s obligation to change the HVAC air filter. To cut costs, tenants frequently put off replacing the filter. However, doing so merely increases the workload on the HVAC system. HVAC systems that are inefficient consume more energy than necessary and are more expensive.
5. Place rugs on floors
If you have tiled or wooden floors, placing rugs on them will help you save money on winter heating. This will build up an insulation layer that will lessen the amount of work your HVAC system needs to do to heat the room.
6. Unplug unused appliances
Many of the equipment in your house utilize energy even when they are not in use. These devices consume a lot of energy and include toasters, gaming consoles, and phone chargers. Stop draining your wallet by unplugging electronics while not in use.
7. Install blinds and drapes
The quantity of direct sunlight and UV rays that enter your home is diminished by blinds and drapes. It makes no sense to let UV rays heat your home and then try to cool it down by cranking up the AC. You can solve the issue at its root by preventing too much sunlight from entering the home during hot weather.
8. Reduce shower time
Showers in the morning and at night are a part of our ritual for getting ready for the day or winding down. By reducing the amount of time spent in the shower, you can indulge your preference for warm or cold showers while still conserving electricity. More than 5 gallons of water can be saved by cutting the length of a shower from ten to five minutes.
9. Adjust the thermostat
Ask your landlord about installing a smart thermostat. Smart thermostats modify the HVAC’s temperature settings based on the season and outside temperature. It can change the settings while no one is home to help you save money. When dusk falls, and you are expected home again, the thermostat will return to your optimal settings.
10. Move heat-emitting objects
Avoid putting heat-emitting objects close to the HVAC system’s thermostat. To determine how high or low to regulate the temperature, a thermostat measures the ambient temperature of the space. A heat-emitting object too close to the thermostat will cause it to read a warmer than the room actually is, increasing the workload on your air conditioner and your energy costs.
11. Reduce hot water usage
You don’t need to wash the majority of your clothing in hot or warm water. If you wash most of your garments in cold water, they will last longer. Only use warm or hot water if the manufacturer clearly advises it on the clothing label.
12. Dry clothes naturally
Make use of nature’s provided drier for clothes. There is no reason why you can’t let the sun dry your clothing unless you live in an apartment with no space to hang them to dry. Additionally, drying your clothes in the sun can sterilize them as well as save you money.
You can achieve the same degree of energy savings as a homeowner or renter if you consistently use these tips.
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