Simple strategies to cut utility bills
From the June 6, 2008 edition of the Plain Dealer

Energy conservation can help your wallet and the environment.

With the U.S. Department of Energy forecasting higher electricity costs this summer, landlords and renters will likely see higher utility bills in coming months. But environmental experts say those utility hikes can be minimized or even negated by adopting some basic energy reduction strategies.

"There are simple things that renters can do that can save them up to 20 percent on their energy bills," said Mandy Metcalf, director of the Affordable Green Housing Center, a program of Environmental Health Watch, a nonprofit public interest organization in Cleveland.

Metcalf noted that renters who take steps to reduce energy consumption are helping to reduce local air pollution and global climate change. That's because the energy we use in our homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and global warming.

Electric bills are lighter with CFLs

Examples of energy-saving quick fixes include using electric fans rather than air conditioners and replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights.

"The CFLs typically last 10 times as long as fluorescent bulbs, and they only use a quarter of the energy," Metcalf said.

To illustrate the benefits of energy-efficient light bulbs, Energy Star, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, has reported that if every American home replaced just one light bulb with a CFL, we would save more than $600 million in annual energy costs and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

Cool idea: Use fans instead of A/C.

In most homes, an air conditioner uses more electricity than any other appliance. In fact, according to Energy Star, running an average-sized air conditioner for 12 hours a day for three weeks uses more energy than leaving your refrigerator door open 24 hours a day for an entire year.

While older adults and the infirmed may not want to forego air conditioning during the summer, renters who switch to ceiling fans and table fans will be rewarded with lower utility bills. For those who want to operate their air conditioning in a more efficient manner, Metcalf suggested limiting its use to the time when you are actually at home.

"It's a myth that leaving the air conditioning on while you're away at work uses less energy than turning it on when you get home," she said.

Here are some additional energy-saving tips for renters:

Lighting

• Turn off lights when leaving a room.
• Take advantage of natural lighting.

Appliances

• Get rid of extra refrigerators and freezers.
• Clean your refrigerator's condenser coils once a year.
• Defrost refrigerators and freezers regularly.
• The temperature of the refrigerator compartment should be 36 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature of the freezer compartment should be 0 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Use a power strip, and turn off electrical appliances at the power strip so that transformers do not continue drawing power even when "off."
• Set computers to sleep modes when not in use.
• Turn off printers and copiers when not in use. They consume considerable energy, even in standby.

Heating and Cooling

• In winter, strive to set thermostats to 68 F when you're home, and down to 55 F when you go to bed or when you're away.
• In summer, keep the thermostat at 78 F when you are home.
• In summer, keep the windows closed tight during the day and ventilate at night naturally or with fans.
• In winter, use plastic window kits to seal off drafty windows.
• Use heavy curtains and blinds to help heat and cool the apartment. Close drapes during sunny summer days and after sunset in the winter.
• Use fans instead of air conditioning units.
• Check the ceiling fan direction of rotation. In summer, air should be pushed down. Usually this is a counter-clockwise rotation.
• Clean or replace furnace filter regularly.
• Keep vents clean and clear of furniture.

Water Heating and Efficiency

• Turn down the water heater thermostat to 120 F.
• Wait until you have a full load to wash clothes.
• Wash laundry in cold water using detergents designed for cold water.
• Use energy-saving cycles, not heat or air-dry settings, on your dishwasher.
• Time your showers, and set a goal to take shorter showers.
• Install a water-saving 2.5-gallon-per-minute showerhead.
• Place a weighted plastic bottle in your toilet tank to use less water.

For additional information about cutting energy bills, visit www.ehw.org and www.energystar.gov.

Robert Sberna is a freelance writer who specializes in the real estate and finance sectors. He can be contacted at rchas@aol.com.

Resources

More tips for renters on cutting energy bills