How to Reduce the Average Utility Costs for an Apartment

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How to Reduce the Average Utility Costs for an Apartment

Staff Writer · Apr 14, 2011

Reducing the average utility costs for an apartment can free up money you can put into savings each month, use to defray debt or put toward some other expenditures. If you want to pay less each month for utilities, consider the following methods of reducing usage:

Make Your Apartment Energy Efficient

One of the most reliable ways to reduce the average utility costs for an apartment is to make your apartment more energy efficient to reduce the electricity and/or gas you spend to heat or cool your apartment. Speak with your landlord about caulking up areas through which air might escape. This includes around the windows and any pipes that enter through your walls.

You can also use a draft guard against the bottom of your apartment door when you’re at home. During the winter, cover your windows with plastic film to keep air from passing through the windows and use dark curtains to trap warmth from sunlight. During the summer, use light curtains so that your apartment doesn’t get as warm.

Turn Down the Heat and Air Conditioning

During the winter, decreasing your thermostat by just two to five degrees can help you lower your average utility costs. You can keep warm by dressing in layers, warming up with a blanket or using a portable space heater. If you have central air, consider raising your thermostat by a few degrees in the summer. Keep cool by wearing light, breathable clothing, drinking plenty of cool liquids and using fans instead.

Unplug Appliances and Electronics When Not in Use

It’s convenient to leave appliances and electronics plugged in so you can switch them on when you need to use them. However, many of these appliances and electronics add to the average utility costs for an apartment by draining energy even when not in use. For example, many of these machines display a light when not in use. Unplug these appliances and electronics to save money. You can also plug them into power strips and flip the power strip switch off.

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