Renting an apartment can be expensive, but most people don’t think of all the hidden costs when they initially begin their search. While some apartments include the cost of utilities in the price of rent, not all of them do. This means, you will be on the hook for all the utilities for your apartment. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because there are smart ways you can control those costs. Take a look to see how you can save on Utilities in your apartment home.
Energy Efficient Bulbs
This is a classic case of spending money to make money. Your wallet may feel a little lighter when you are leaving the hardware store with energy efficient light bulbs because they are more expensive than your normal ones. These energy efficient light bulbs will save you money over time by using less electricity. This means you will be paying less on your electric bills every month and eventually the savings will equal out and even exceed the extra cost of the bulb.
Unplug Your Appliances
Even when they are not on, having appliances plugged in is costing you money. It may be convenient for you to leave the toaster plugged in, just in case you have a craving for toast at any point. However, by leaving it plugged in, you are wasting electricity even though it is not powered on. Energy is still flowing through the cord to the appliance. By physically unplugging that appliance, you are saving that energy. This concept works for other appliances, computers and even your TV.
Take Control of your Thermostat
One of the biggest energy wasters in a home is the thermostat, but it’s also the most essential. It controls the heating of the home, so during the winter, it is crucial. During the other months, not so much though. If you have your thermostat higher than it needs to be, that’s money that you don’t need to spend. Even changing the temperature by a degree can change your heating bill by a significant amount of money. Summer cooling costs will be lower if you keep your thermostat at a higher temperature. When you are not at home turn down your thermostat. The money saved will be well worth the trouble. Check out more Energy Saving tips from Eversource here.
Energy Efficiency is Our Goal at Red Oak Apartment Homes
Red Oak Apartment Homes has put a lot of effort into making our apartment homes energy efficient. We have added insulation to our buildings, improved R factors with roofing material, installed energy efficient boliers and switched to energy saving lighting fixtures.
In our new construction projects we are innovators in making sure that new construction techniques are used to help promote energy savings for our residents. Windows that are installed have the highest energy ratings available, appliances are energy star rated, solar panels may be added to a rooftop and electric vehicle charging stations are standard.
Need an apartment? Red Oak can help!