Typically, tenants are not allowed to make major changes to rented apartments. However, this doesn’t apply to making your rental more energy-efficient.
In fact, as long as someone can do their little part in reducing their energy bills and carbon footprint, their landlords would have no issues with it. Furthermore, many changes made to the rental home can be taken with you into your next home or sold to future tenants.
So, are you wondering what steps to take to make your rental home more energy-efficient? Don’t worry, as we have got you covered with our informative guide.
Take a look at these easy but practical tips that you can implement immediately into your home.
Making A Rental More Energy-Efficient
We are listing some tips that almost anyone can easily work into their daily schedules to make their homes more energy-efficient. Rest assured that none of these methods require you to make any major changes in your rental home. Plus, your landlord might end up thanking you for the reduced energy bills!
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Cleaning The Refrigerator More Often
Unless you are a clean freak, chances are, you don’t clean the fridge very often. Most people find it a dreaded task and avoid it for as long as possible. However, did you know that cleaning the fridge regularly can help the machine better? Well, consider cleaning the coils behind the fridge yourself or call for professional services.
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Consider Installing Window Shades
You don’t have to think about replacing your old windows with new ones that have better designs. Instead, purchase some window shades, good curtains, or blinds for them.
Not only will this add to the aesthetics of your home but it can also help prevent heat loss and control the level of light you let into the house. This, in turn, helps manage energy bills better, as you won’t need to turn up the heater or cooler that often.
A small step like this can make a monumental difference in your lifestyle. Just try it!
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Replacing The Filter Of Your Furnace
You should ideally replace the filter of your furnace once every one to three months. This is quite easy to do on your own, and you won’t need professional help. It can improve the air quality of your home significantly, and also improve the working efficiency of your furnace.
However, you may need to ask your landlord about the exact location of the mechanical closet.
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Installing Programmable Thermostats
Having a good heating and cooling system is essential for the home. And while at it, consider installing an affordable programmable thermostat, which will help you control the level of heating and cooling of your home more efficiently. Plus, you end up saving quite a bit of money in the long run.
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Periodically Checking The Settings Of Your Water Heater
Who doesn’t love a nice, hot bath after a long day? But if you ever entered the bath only to be scalded by boiling hot water, then chances are that your water heater settings are too high.
And this can cause major injury to your body as well as skyrocket your energy bills. So, take a look at the settings every time you go for a bath and change it to a moderate temperature.
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Investing In Energy-Efficient Bulbs
Everyone knows the benefits of LED and CFL bulbs. The best part about them is that you can take them with you to the new home when moving. If you want, you can also go for high energy CFLs; however, bear in mind that this might be a slightly more expensive option. That being said, there are several economical options available as well.
So, consider investing in these bulbs for a more energy-efficient and brighter home.
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Using Humidifiers And Lowering The Heat
High humidity is beneficial to your health as well as your furniture and indoor atmosphere. Moreover, it can naturally increase the indoor temperature by a few degrees, so you can turn down your heat and save on energy bills.
Most modern HVAC systems will have a built-in humidifier. But if it doesn’t, there is no need to fret. You will find multiple affordable portable humidifiers on the market. These do not require any installation and are typically very lightweight and easy to move around.
Furthermore, you can conveniently move them into the next home you shift to.
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Using Power Strips
Power strips can help curb the wastage of electricity which occurs in most homes. This happens typically when you leave your electronics plugged into the sockets, causing vampire energy.
Essentially, an energy vampire is any device that continually sucks power from an outlet, even if it is turned off. And that vampire energy can account for almost 20% of your energy charges. But fortunately, this small installation can put an end to it immediately.
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Installing Gaskets In Appropriate Places
Air infiltration and unnecessary loss of warm air from your home can be caused by small cracks, crevices, and holes near switch plates and power outlets. Test it yourself by placing your hand next to an outlet and feeling for any air coming out of it.
Installing gaskets in these areas can easily prevent this from occurring. Moreover, they are quite easy and cheap to install.
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Caulking And Sealing Doors And Windows
Finally, we recommend caulking and sealing your doors and windows. Those who live in old buildings or apartments that have not been maintained properly may notice some caulk missing from these areas. It is also possible that the old caulk has not been replaced for a long time.
Furthermore, these old buildings often have windows with single panes, which can cause air and heat loss. Protect your home from these unnecessary losses by caulking and sealing the areas where you notice air leakage.
Final Words
So, as you can now see, none of these methods require any major investments or changes in your rental apartment. But, as they say, a little goes a long way.
Small changes like cleaning the fridge and updating your boiler with newer technology, keeping an eye on your monthly heating expenses can make a world of difference to your bills and the environment. At the end of it all, you will not only have lower expenditures but also have the satisfaction of having an energy-efficient home.
We hope you can implement these tips into your rental home and benefit from the changes. Keep a watch on this space for more such reads.
Until then, stay green!
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