5 best ways renters can save energy (and money!)

September 23 2015, 15:24 PM

Just because you don’t own your home, doesn’t mean you don’t have control over your energy use.

There are many ways renters can reduce their electricity use. If you make these small changes around your home, you could start to see a big change on your electricity bill. If these tips fit in with your lifestyle and schedule, try them out to start saving! 

1. Don’t overheat:

   
   Try to keep your room temperature at 20°Cwhen you’re home.  Lowering your room temperature by 4°C while sleeping and before you leave the house (only if you’ll be gone for a few hours) is the best way to save on heat. 
   
   Renters tip:
   
   There are still lots of thermostats out there that can be off by as much as 3 – 5° C. To help you find out if your thermostat is showing the right temperature, hang an inexpensive thermometer on the wall next to your thermostat. It will tell you what the temperature inside your room is. Set your thermostat to match what your thermometer says to stop overheating. 

2. Use plastic window kits:
   

   
   Plastic window kits are an inexpensive way to increase the performance of any window.  They will help keep the heat in and prevent condensation and frost from forming on the glass during the winter months. 
   
   Renters tip:
   
   Lay a strip of blue paint tape down first, and then apply the tape that comes with the plastic. That way it's easy to remove and won’t tear away the paint when you remove it in the spring!

 

3. Limit hot water use:

   
   
   Taking short showers, especially when using a low flow showerhead, uses a lot less water than taking a bath. 
   
   Renters tip:
   
   Use a dollar store egg timer to help you limit your showers to 10 minutes. If each person in your house does this every day, the savings will add up. You can even turn it into a competition with your roommates to see who can shower the quickest!

4. Turn it off:

   
   
   Turn off any light or appliance you’re not using. It’s the easiest way to save money on your power bill.  If it's not in use, turn it off. 
   
   Renters Tip:
   
   Plug computer equipment and home entertainment devices (like sound systems, television, DVD player and digital receivers) into a single power bar. If you do this, you can turn off all these devices at once to keep them from drawing phantom load when they’re not in use.
   
   Remember to unplug devices like laptop, phone and camera chargers once the device is charged.

5. Change it up:
   

   
   If you are shopping for a new appliance or an electronic device, look for products displaying the ENERGY STAR® symbol.  ENERGY STAR® certified products are in the top 15-30% of their class in terms of energy performance.
   
   Renters Tip:
   
   You can also swap out incandescent light bulbs for ENERGY STAR® qualified light bulbs (CFL or LED). These light bulbs use up to 75% less energy than regular incandescent bulbs. 

 

What have you done to save energy in your rental? Do you have any special tricks for saving energy? Share it with us in our comment section below.