Home Improvement

5 Apartment Hacks to Lower Your Utility Bill

Many homeowners would likely jump at the chance of acquiring insurance at the most affordable rates. Even in a luxury apartment, there are techniques to decrease the amount one would have to set aside for expenses.

Air Leaks

Unbeknownst to many homeowners, a lot of air can leak out of one’s home. Whenever there is a draft during the colder months, the cool air is going in while the hot air is going out. You can prevent this by sealing openings around doors and windows through the process of weatherstripping. This could benefit you by contributing to a decrease in the energy bill.

Air can also leak from outlets and switches. This is especially true for the ones that are on outside walls. An effective method of dealing with this would be to add insulation. Specialized seals for outlets and switches would do the trick and decrease the chances of fire hazards.

Washing Dishes

Since your dishwasher also uses a high amount of energy, you should limit the use of it each month. Wait until the load is full before you wash it, as even washing just half a load can be wasteful. You want to be utilizing the machine to its fullest, and in an efficient manner. It is also possible to turn off the manual “heat dry” so that your dishes can air dry without its use. Of course, there is also the option of washing certain dishes by hand. Since large pots and pans take up a lot of space, it might be best to hand-wash them rather than have them comprise a huge chunk of a load.

ENERGY STAR Ratings

ENERGY STAR-rated appliances use up only a small portion of energy from non-rated appliances. Appliances with this rating are deemed energy efficient. They may be a little more expensive than what you would normally get. With each of these being a one-time purchase, however, they would be an investment. After all, using any energy-efficient appliances would lead to you saving a lot of money over time. If you do the math long after the purchase, you will look back and see that acquiring these types of appliances was a good and beneficial idea. Jump on it now and thank yourself later.

Laundry Loads with Cold Water

If you live in an apartment complex, it might have a laundromat where you get all of your clothes cleaned. Otherwise, you might live in a unit where you have your own personal washing machine. While this can be more convenient than walking or driving to a laundromat, you should know that heating the water takes up 90% of the energy used by your washer. So it would be better to switch to cold water for your loads. All of the savings really add up, especially when you take into account that, on average, American families do 400 loads annually.

Shower Head Adjustments

Water bills can get pretty pricey if you end up using that resource a lot. When it comes to the shower, it helps to get a low-flow showerhead. Oftentimes, standard showerheads used up four or five gallons of water per minute, whereas the low-flow showerheads use up less than two gallons per minute. So right away, you would be cutting the shower water use by at least 50%. There are various low-flow showerheads that would still maintain satisfying water pressure, so your routine would not feel too different. A low-flow showerhead would definitely be a win.

Live Your Best Life at Ariel Apartments

While there are expenses to be paid, you may want to be able to spend money on travel and leisurely activities every once in a while. To maintain a good balance of both worlds, it can do wonders making strides to decrease your utility bill. It is best to use the available resources only when they are needed. Ariel in San Diego provides you not just with amenities and features, but also with a community that cares about your necessities. A scroll through the blog can prove to be informative with regards to what it would be like to live here.