Renters can make money-saving tweaks, too. Here are five tips from Egypt Sherrod of HGTV’s “Property Virgins.” designed with apartment dwellers in mind.
Bundle up your windows Defend against drafts Figure out what those arrows mean Eliminate excess energy Have a light bulb moment
Cover your windows in shrink-wrap. “It’s an additional barrier to keep the heat inside,” Sherrod says. “All you need is a little adhesive or duck tape — it doesn’t have to be fancy.”
“Since you can’t insulate your apartment walls, be sure to get some draft blockers to go around the doors,” she suggests.
Talk to your landlord —- or read the manual, if it’s handy —- to find out exactly how your thermostat works. “A lot of people have programmable thermostats and don’t know how to use them,” Sherrod says. “They assume that in the winter you push the up arrow a few times, and in the summer the down one a couple times. Learning how to use it can save you 20 percent on your bill.”
Unplug all electronics when you’re not using them. “This will help save on your energy bill, since they still use energy when not turned on,” Sherrod says.
Make the smart choice by buying compact fluorescent light bulbs. “They will save you $50 on a $100 lighting bill,” Sherrod says. “Not only do they last 10 times longer, but they also use 75 percent less energy.”
Prep your apartment for a polar vortex
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