For Apartment Dwellers

Saving Energy in your APARTMENT

Simple energy conservation measures can lower your utility bills while increasing the comfort of your apartment. Although your landlord or management company is ultimately responsible for your building's energy efficiency, you make dozens of energy decisions every day that can help our planet and your pocketbook.

Window Treatments and Coverings

You can choose window treatments or coverings not only for decoration but also for saving energy. Some carefully selected window treatments can reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. Black out blinds is especially helpful when renting as they don’t permanently change the window and are not visible from the outside.

You can also “winterize” your windows by putting Plastic Foil up. Window Insulation Kits are readily available in the northern climates. Here in Jacksonville we have a hard time finding them, but you can order them over the internet. The kits are not costly and are easy to put up even if you don’t do “apartment improvement” projects. Here is a great how to video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuzD_LUanxg. In my opinion you should leave one window at least 3 x 5 ft with easy access to outside for a fire egress in case of emergencies.

Caulking and Weather-stripping

Caulking and weather-stripping your windows can also help reduce air leakage and often your landlord will allow and appreciate you doing this.

Most experts agree that caulking and weather-stripping—two simple air sealing techniques—will pay for themselves in energy savings within one year. Applying these techniques will also alleviate drafts and help your apartment feel warmer when it's cold outside.

Before you use any air sealing technique in your apartment, you need to do the following:

Detecting Air Leaks

You may already know where some air leakage occurs in your apartment, such as an under-the-door draft, but you'll need to find the less obvious gaps to properly air seal your apartment.

There are ways to find some air leaks yourself. First, look at areas where different materials meet, such as between brick and wood siding, between foundation and walls, and between the chimney and siding. Also inspect around the following areas for any cracks and gaps that could cause air leaks:

· Door and window frames

· Mail chutes

· Electrical and gas service entrances

· Cable TV and phone lines as well as electrical outlets

· Outdoor water faucets

· Where dryer vents pass through walls

· Bricks, siding, stucco, and foundation

· Air conditioners

· Vents and fans.

Sometimes your Management Company or landlord will take care of these things if you make a list, if not they now sell foam in a can and it can help with air leaks as well as good old fashion caulk.

Water Heating

If you have your own water heater in your apartment, look into wrapping it, most supplies only cost about $20.00. You can also turn it down; turning down your water heater just a few degrees makes a HUGE difference on your bill and usually is undetectable. If you don't have your own water heater, you can still save energy by reducing your hot water use. You may need your landlord's or management company's permission for some of these energy conservation measures.

Reduce Hot Water Use for Energy Savings

You can lower your water heating costs by using and wasting less hot water in your apartment. To conserve hot water, you can fix leaks; install low-flow fixtures, usually allowed by landlords as long as you replace theirs when you stop renting. Since you are renting and don’t want to invest in appliances, buy a toilet bank (sometimes called a displacer) instead of something more pricey. (This is a good example of what it looks like) http://www.green-logic.net/toilet-tank-bank.html It can save the amount of water you use by 0.8 gallons and it is extremely inexpensive and quick to undo.

Fix Leaks

You can significantly reduce hot water use by simply repairing leaks in fixtures—faucets and showerheads—or pipes. A leak of one drip per second can cost $1 per month. However as a renter you should contact your landlord and report leaks immediately. When renting water is one of the things that you can do to SIGNIFICANTLY reduce your bills.

Install Low-Flow Fixtures

Here is some information on water and eliminating the waste of it in your home. If your Landlord or Management Company pays for the water, then the most you should be concerned about is conservation.

Federal regulations mandate that new showerhead flow rates can't exceed more than 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) at a water pressure of 80 pounds per square inch (psi). New faucet flow rates can't exceed 2.5 gpm at 80 psi or 2.2 gpm at 60 psi. You can purchase some quality, low-flow fixtures for around $10 to $20 a piece and achieve water savings of 25%–60%.

Showerheads

For maximum water efficiency, select a shower head with a flow rate of less than 2.5 gpm. There are two basic types of low-flow showerheads: aerating and laminar-flow. Aerating showerheads mix air with water, forming a misty spray. Laminar-flow showerheads form individual streams of water. If you live in a humid climate, you might want to use a laminar-flow showerhead because it won't create as much steam and moisture as an aerating one.

Before 1992, some showerheads had flow rates of 5.5 gpm. Therefore, if you have fixtures that pre-date 1992, you might want to replace them if you're not sure of their flow rates. Here's a quick test to determine whether you should replace a showerhead:

Place a bucket—marked in gallon increments—under your shower head.
Turn on the shower at the normal water pressure you use.
Time how many seconds it takes to fill the bucket to the 1-gallon (3.8 liter) mark.

If it takes less than 20 seconds to reach the 1-gallon mark, you could benefit from a low-flow shower head.

Faucets

The aerator—the screw-on tip of the faucet—ultimately determines the maximum flow rate of a faucet. Typically, new kitchen faucets come equipped with aerators that restrict flow rates to 2.2 gpm, while new bathroom faucets have ones that restrict flow rates from 1.5 to 0.5 gpm.

Aerators are inexpensive to replace and they can be one of the most cost-effective water conservation measures. For maximum water efficiency, purchase aerators that have flow rates of no more than 1.0 gpm. Some aerators even come with shut-off valves that allow you to stop the flow of water without affecting the temperature. When replacing an aerator, bring the one you're replacing to the store with you to ensure a proper fit.

On and On…

I could continue but I would be repeating myself, In our article archives there are TONS of ideas that can be used by anyone not just homeowners…start with the article “Things everyone can do” and watch our tip box, it changes every month to bring you cool quick savings….here are a few more…

· Unplug that TV or get a power strip

· Run your dishwasher in the middle of the night

· Stop using the dryer when at all possible

· Turn out the lights

· Reduce, reuse, recycle

Enjoy yourselves and others…Enjoy and nurture our planet!