10 Energy-Saving Things to Look for When Choosing an Apartment

Many renters have to pay their own electricity bills. This can be frustrating because a lot of the energy-saving changes that you can make to a home to lower your electricity bill may not be allowed by your landlord. Making sure to choose the right apartment for low-cost energy bills can help to guarantee that your apartment’s electricity costs will stay low.

Here are ten energy-saving things to consider when looking for a new apartment:

1. 1. The size of the apartment. You want to choose an apartment that is big enough to meet your needs but not any bigger. The smaller your space, the less that you will spend on heating and cooling your home.


2. 2. The height of the ceilings. Rooms with high ceilings require more energy especially during the summer months when you need to cool them off. Choose lower ceilings. If you choose an apartment with high ceilings, make sure that it has ceiling fans.


3. 3. Look closely at the appliances in your apartment. Since you don’t get to choose the appliances for the apartment, you want to look at them carefully before you move in. Make sure that they are Energy Star appliances that are highly efficient. You want low-wattage appliances.


4. 4. Select an apartment with a shared laundry. Although there are benefits to having a washer and dryer in the apartment itself, you may pay out a lot in energy costs. Choose a building with a shared laundry so the cost of energy for the washer / dryer is covered by the landlord.


5. 5. Aim for natural lighting. Choose an apartment with good natural lighting so that you don’t have to spend a lot of money keeping lights on during the day.


6. 6. Take a look at the light bulbs and fixtures. You want energy efficient light bulbs in your apartment. If your landlord has already installed CFL or LED lights then there’s a good chance that this is an energy-efficient apartment. If not, make sure that there’s no problem with you choosing these light bulbs when it comes time to replace what’s there.


7. 7. Look for proper window coverings. You want ones that will let in that natural light while allowing for proper air flow in the home. If the apartment doesn’t have these, ask about your options before moving in.


8. 8. Make sure that the windows are properly caulked. Ask when the apartment was last checked for energy leaks.


9. 9. Request an energy audit for the apartment. It is possible that the landlord will allow this. If the landlord won’t pay for it but you are serious about getting the apartment then it may be worth it to pay for it yourself. This will tell you where the landlord may need to make changes.


10. 10. Look for a flexible, green-minded landlord. You want to choose a landlord that is going to easily work with you to save energy in your apartment.