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Most people want to protect and preserve what is left of the environment, but renters are placed in a predicament. The fact that they are renting their current residence indicates one of two things: they are economically stressed or they are not ready to make a long-term commitment to it. Both situations make it difficult for renters to do their part in the fight to protect the environment. If you are a renter, there is no reason to fret. There are several inexpensive and/or effective methods to reduce your carbon footprint.

Ways To Save Energy As a Renter:
Each renter’s first step should be to discuss the possibility of an energy audit with his or her landlord. An energy audit determines the method to maximize energy efficiency and save money. The solutions recommended use less energy, improve quality, and above all, save money. While discussing this possibility with their landlords, renters should provide facts of how much money energy audits can actually save. For instance, replacing current single-pane windows with energy efficient ones can save you anywhere from $126 to $465 (1). Not only does this benefit you, it benefits the landlord, anyone who might live in building, and the environment.  Especially if you live in Maryland, renters in Maryland are eligible for several free items, including: water heater wraps, aerators, smart strips, compact florescent light bulbs, water heater wraps, and more. (For information on a cheaper energy audit option for renters, visit America’s Best Energy Team.)

If you fail to convince your landlord, you can always do some simple, cheap improvements on your own. For just a few bucks, you can insulate your windows with plastic using a window insulation kit, whhich can be picked up at any general hardware store. Using a blow dryer, the plastic sheet will stick to the frame of the window. The sheet acts as another buffer between the weather outside and the weather inside your home. As a result, it keeps the home warm in the winter. This is only a valid option for the winter because people don’t open windows.

Another trick is to use space heaters instead of central heating. Rather than wasting energy heating the entire residence, use a space heater and heat the area you are currently in. Same goes for air conditioning; using a fan to cool a certain area instead of air conditioning would save an immense amount of energy.

The simplest solution for renters is to be conscious of appliance use; they must remember to turn appliances off when they are not in use. A classic example is televisions; consumers watch TV and forget to turn it off when they are finished. This is energy being wasted. Furthermore, many renters, and people in general, are unaware of energy vampires. Energy vampires are appliances that such energy even when they aren’t in use. The best solution to this special brand of appliances is to use smart strips. Another simple step is upgrading from regular light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs. These bulbs use a fourth of the power and last much longer than regular bulbs. The smallest upgrade can save renters energy and money, more information on light bulbs can be found here.

These are simple, and convenient steps. By utilizing the steps mentioned before, renters will save money, and energy, improve lives around them, and help the environment.

Author: Hamza Shahid

Sources:

  1. Save Money and Energy