In New England we all know that cold winter weather is inevitable. When you want to try to save money on heating costs the first place you should look is at your apartment windows. The better prepared you are for winter, the warmer and cozier you will be when the temperature drops.
How to insulate apartment windows – three ways to insulate your apartment windows for winter to keep cold air out and keep your apartment nice and toasty warm.
Plastic Covering
Most hardware stores have plastic covering kits that you can put over your window to block the air and keep the moisture out. These kits are relatively inexpensive, and don’t take much time or experience to put together. You can also customize the plastic to fit the size of your window. Be careful, some coverings can give windows a cloudy, shrink-wrapped look and others can be difficult to remove. Ask the expert at the hardware store before you buy something to make sure it will be apartment friendly. Take a look at this video that will show you how to shrink wrap your windows like an expert.
Shades and Curtains
A more expensive option on how to insulate apartment windows would be to get shades or curtains for your apartment. Cellular Shades can be custom fit to your window, but aren’t the heaviest and won’t block out as much of the cold air as some of the other options. Layered Curtains are heavier and will block out more of the cold air, and can be ordered in different patterns and designs to add a decorative flair to your apartment. However, they will block out some of the light from the outside of your apartment as well. This won’t matter in the evenings when it is dark outside anyways and you want to keep the warmth in your apartment. Look for Thermal Insulated curtains for the best results.
Be Crafty
There may be some things around your apartment that you could use as a window insulator. People have reported having luck insulating their windows with bubble wrap as well as filling tube socks with rice and leaving them on the bottom of the window pane. Make a “draft snake” from pretty fabric or a dish towel to keep the cold from seeping through the gap at the bottom of your window. If there are large gaps in your windows report them to the maintenance team at your apartment. They can make repairs for you if necessary.
Three More Ideas for Saving Energy in Your Apartment
Unplug electronics that you aren’t using: When you aren’t using a television set, charger, or laptop, that doesn’t mean it isn’t still consuming electricity and costing you money. Get a smart power strip that will make it easy for you to turn off more appliances at once. These smart power strips automatically cut off the supply of electricity to electronic devices when they are off.
Turn your thermostat down a few degrees: You can save a ton of cash if you put on an extra sweater and turn down the thermostat. Get warm by putting on warm socks, a warm bathrobe or an extra layer of clothing.
Cook Something: A cost-effective way of saving energy is to cook in your kitchen. Imagine the oven warming a meal or baking bread or cookies. Turn down your heat while using the oven and hang out in the kitchen. It’s true that ovens need electricity (or gas) to operate, but if you’re going to cook something anyway, you might as well use the hot air to keep yourself warm, too.
Green Initiatives at Red Oak Apartments in Manchester, NH
At Red Oak Apartments Homes, Our Green Initiatives have helped to save heating costs in all of our buildings. Measures we have taken and are continuing to work on include adding insulation to all buildings, updating windows with new energy saving ones, updating appliances with Energy Star Models. We now use LED lighting in all our common areas, parking lots and in many apartments. Need a place to call home that has energy efficiency in mind? Contact Red Oak for your new apartment.