13 Simple Ways to Conserve Electricity and Energy in Your Apartment

Some American families are spending as much as $400 on utilities every month. That can put a tight strain on your budget. The good news is there are some simple tricks that’ll help you save money and stay comfortable in your apartment at the same time.

We’ve put together this guide to show you easy ways to conserve electricity and energy, so let’s get started!

1. Insulate Your Windows

On average, homes and apartments lose about 30% of their energy through the windows. Because of this, you should make sure your windows are well insulated.

There are a few ways you can do this. For example, you can use draft stoppers and weather strips to keep every possible crack sealed. You can also look into renter-friendly window tinting that’ll reflect heat away from your apartment or keep the heat in during cold days. You can check out this window tinting guide to learn more about that option.

2. Keep Your Freezer Full

The more space your freezer has, the harder it has to work to keep it cold. Because of this, you should keep your freezer as full as possible. If you don’t normally keep a lot of food in your freezer, unload everything and fill the back with bags of ice or other fillers. Then pack everything back in as tightly as you can. This will help your freezer conserve energy.

3. Wash Your Clothes With Cold Water

Your washing machine has to suck up extra energy every time you use hot water. If you wash your clothes with cold water, you cut out an entire step, which will help you save money in the long run. You should only wash your clothes with warm water if you have a specific item that requires it. Otherwise, stick to cold water instead.

4. Hang Dry Your Clothes

Clotheslines are much cheaper than running the dryer every week. If you don’t have any outdoor space in your apartment, you can hang the clothesline up inside as well. This doesn’t mean you can’t run your dryer at all. However, do it as little as possible. Try limiting your dryer time to about five minutes before switching to the clothesline.

5. Turn Your Thermostat Down

You should try to keep your thermostat at around 75 to 78 degrees during the summer and 60 to 65 degrees during the winter. This will help keep your home cool or warm while using as little energy as possible.

However, you shouldn’t sacrifice your comfort. There’s no point to run your air conditioner at all if you’re already sweating inside. At that point, you may as well keep your home a bit colder to get your money’s worth out of your system.

6. Open and Close Your Windows at the Right Times

Always keep your windows closed when you’re running your HVAC system. Otherwise, that warm or cold air is going straight outside. Your system will have to run for extra time to get your home the temperature you want. You should also keep your blinds or curtains open during the warm summer months. This will let as much sunlight into your apartment as possible, which can help warm up the space. Close them during the winter to help keep the cold air outside.

7. Unplug Devices You Aren’t Using

If an electronic device is plugged into the wall, it’s always sucking out small amounts of electricity—even if they’re turned off. Always unplug any computers, TVs, lights, chargers, etc. when you’re done using them.

8. Install Energy-Efficient Lights

Energy-efficient light bulbs use 25% to 80% less energy than other lights. This can save you several hundred dollars every year, and depending on how many lights you have in your apartment and how often you use them, you might be able to save even more. Start by buying energy-efficient light bulbs for the five lights you use the most in your apartment. If you can afford more, switch out all the lights.

9. Switch out Your Shower Head

Switch out your shower head for a water-saving model, and limit your showers to 10 minutes or under. This will make a major dent in your water bill. Baths take up a lot more water than showers, but that doesn’t mean you can never take a relaxing soak. However, you should save your baths for special occasions.

10. Don’t Block Your Vents

You might not have a lot of space in your apartment to experiment with different furniture arrangements, but make sure you don’t block your air conditioner or heater vents. This will prevent the cold or warm air from spreading to the rest of your home. You’ll have to run your HVAC system for longer than usual to keep your house comfortable, which will make your energy bill go up.

11. Stop Rinsing Your Dishes

If you’re rinsing your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, all you’re doing is wasting water. While older dishwashers may not have been able to handle dishes covered in food, today’s dishwashers can clean off even tough messes.

12. Buy Some Rugs

If your apartment doesn’t have carpet, consider buying some rugs. This will help insulate your apartment and prevent energy from leaking out through your floor. This is especially important if there are other apartments under you.

13. Get Creative With Your Toilet

Your toilet uses about 1.6 gallons of water every time you flush. While this is less than older models, it can still make your water bill get pretty high.Try filling a plastic water bottle with rocks and putting it at the bottom of the toilet tank. This will displace the water, meaning every flush uses less water than normal.

Ways to Conserve Electricity and Energy in Your Apartment

If you follow these ways to conserve electricity and energy in your apartment, you’ll find yourself spending less money on your utilities every month. Want to learn some other helpful homeowner tips? Make sure you take a look at the rest of our blog!