7 Tips to Save Money as a Renter

When you rent the place you call home, you likely will be limited in the things you can do to improve the efficiency of your home, apartment or townhouse. But fear not, there are some really good ideas that renters can try to help save money on utilities and other living expenses.

Here are 7 tips for creating a more efficient environment at home when you rent:

Start with the Lights

Changing the lightbulbs in your home is certainly one thing you can do to increase your energy efficiency and save you some cash. You want to start with the lights that are the most often used. Replace the bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs that use less energy and will last 6-10 times longer than a regular light bulb. As you can afford to buy more CFL’s, you should work toward placing all the lights in your home. Also remember it is important to teach the kids about turning off unused lights when they leave the room. You may only be saving a little at a time but the savings will certainly add up.

Check the Outlets

There is a good chance if you went around your home and checked out the electrical outlets, you will find that there are several plugs throughout the house that can be unplugged because you are not using the item. Even when items are turned off but remain plugged in, there is still energy being used. This includes battery chargers, game systems and the like. You should also get into the habit of switching off any power strips when not in use.

Conserve in the Shower

Many landlords will permit small changes to be made in your living space. One thing you can invest in to help save money and conserve water is a new low-flow shower head. Once the shower head is in place, work on limiting your shower time to ten minutes or less.

Move The Furniture

If your home has radiators or central heat, you need to make sure that your furniture is arranged in such a way that does not interfere with the circulation of air. If you use radiators for heat, put a piece of reflective material between the wall and the radiator so the heat is reflected around the room and not sink directly into the wall.

Do the Work to Heat and Cool

In the summer months, keep your window shades and curtains drawn to keep cool air in and heat out. Then do the opposite in the winter months – keep the drapes open during the day to absorb the heat from the sun and closed at night to keep out the cold air.

Wash In Cold

Save energy and money by washing your laundry in cold water and using the correct water level for each load you wash. You also want to wash as full a load as possible each time instead of smaller ones. You can save thousands of gallons of water just waiting a few days for laundry to pile up.

Hang Your Laundry

If your home has a washer and dryer, don’t use the machines to do all of the work. Make a space to hang wet clothing or but them on the radiators to put moisture back in the air during the winter months. When you do use the dryer, make sure to clean out the lint regularly to prevent fires and to aid in drying.