Energy Efficiency 101: How to Save Energy Costs as a Renter

When renting, sometimes the utility bills come with the rent. These utilities may include water, heat, or electricity, and have a dedicated portion when it comes to the lease. However, when that is not the case, you’d be the one who has to deal with paying the utility bills yourself. Whatever the case, you are solely responsible for the utilities that run in your rented apartment or home.

That’s why you must know how to manage the energy that runs in your home efficiently. Not only would it be beneficial for the environment, but being energy efficient can also help you save money in the long run. If you have bad habits that cost you to pay more electricity, you should probably start changing the way you live.

What is Energy Efficiency?

Energy efficiency is the practice of having to use less energy to perform tasks all over your home. This means that unnecessary use of power shouldn’t be tolerated nor practiced. Being energy efficient has many benefits, which include reducing greenhouse emissions and saving money in utility bills.
Being energy efficient does not only have to rely on using renewable energy sources such as solar panels and the like. Merely being conscious of your energy use and significantly affect the amount of energy wasted. Now, imagine if every single person in the world practiced energy efficiency. We’ll save tons of energy. A small task done en masse can make a significant change in the world.

That is why eliminating bad habits, along with being conscious of your energy consumption, can benefit both the world and your pockets. By being energy efficient, renters can cut their energy bills at least 25%, amounting to $2,000 annually.

What are Bad Habits that Waste Energy?

Here are some habits that you need to avoid:

Leaving Unused Lights On
Whenever you enter a room, you usually turn on the lights to see your surroundings better. However, when you go, do you remember turning the lights off? If not, then you should be more conscious every time you leave a room without switching off. According to Energy Star, an average home, rented or not, usually has 40 light bulbs. Lighting takes up 20% of your energy bill. Depending on what type of bulb your home has, you can garner a total of $200 annually on light alone.
To remedy this issue, always remember to switch the lights off whenever it’s not in use. Changing to a more energy-efficient light bulb can also help lessen your cost. Standard homes are equipped with incandescent bulbs, which are the most primitive and costly light bulb in the market. CFL and LED lights are excellent and energy-efficient alternatives to incandescent bulbs.

Not Using Energy Efficient Appliances
The appliances in your home make your everyday life much more comfortable. However, did you know that electrical appliances take up 30% of the energy bill that you pay? If you’re the type to rely on your devices a lot, then using traditional ones will cost you much more money.
That is why switching to energy-efficient appliances can lessen your energy waste. These types of devices reduce the usage of energy without having to sacrifice the quality of its task. It might be a bit expensive upfront compared to the standard ones. But in the long run, you will save more money.
By using energy-efficient products, you can reduce a whopping $2,500 on your annual bill. Consider buying appliances with energy star ratings. The higher the rating, the more energy-efficient the device is.

Leaving Devices Plugged
You might not think twice about having your devices plugged when not in use. They aren’t on, so they won’t use up energy, right? Wrong. They will consume energy whether you like it or not.
That is why plugging them off after every use is better for your money. Standby electricity use, according to the Natural Resource Defense Council, costs a household $165, or $19 billion all over America. So next time you finish charging your laptops, remove them from the sockets.

Not Adjusting the Thermostat
If you have a programmable thermostat, but you neglect it, then you should start setting it to help you save more energy. The thermostat takes up at least 48% of energy consumption in your home. So don’t leave the thermostat to the highest setting possible.

The Department of Energy recommends you adjust your thermostat seven to 10 degrees back from their standard settings for 8 hours per day. This practice can help you save 10% when it comes to your energy bills.

Wasting Time in Front of Open Fridge
Being indecisive in front of the fridge can seem harmless, but that’s where you are wrong. Leaving the refrigerator open for long periods as you ponder which food to munch on wastes 50 to 120 kWh per year. This is because the fridge has to exert more effort to keep your food cold whenever heat enters through the open door. Second Law of Thermodynamics, anyone?
So before you go and open the appliance that keeps your food fresh and cold, come up with a decision on what you need and take it in one go. Other than that, consider buying an energy-efficient fridge to save up more.

An Energy Conserving Tip for New Yorkers
If you’re moving to New York or planning to switch electricity providers, it is beneficial if you do thorough research first before deciding on a retailer. A great NY electric price comparison method is searching for every energy provider in New York and finding the cheapest through the process of elimination, starting from the one with the highest rates. When you find a provider with affordable but high-quality service, then that’s when you should switch providers.

Takeaway
Bad habits cost us a lot when it comes to energy efficiency. By practicing methods that allow us to save more when it comes to energy use, we can also save a lot of money we can use on more important matters- like paying for the rent! Practicing energy efficiency methods will surely change your life for the better, and it’s good for the Earth, too.