Because of inflation, keeping your apartment as warm this winter as you did last winter could cost you an estimated 11 % more. It's a proven fact that for every degree that your thermostat is set back, you could save approximately 1% on your bill.
Many of us try to remember to set the thermostat down to a reasonable degree when we leave the house, so that it doesn't run all day heating our apartment for no one and wasting our hard earned cash.
Sometimes a roommate may not be very conscious about their heat and money wasting, so your best bet is to mention it to them, post a reminder note by the front door that they can't miss, or even try to remember to handle the issue for them.
I had a roomy once who's argument was that he didn't want to come home to an uncomfortable house after a long day of work. I told him I didn't want to come home to an outrageous electric bill after a long day's work, so we were at a standstill. I ended up betting him the entire cost of the electric bill that our bill would drop considerably if he turned off the heater before he left for work and then turned it back on when he got home. He tried it and in the first month our bill went from averaging $130/ month to roughly $80. After that, I got no more lip about it!
Programmable Thermostat- You could even check with your apartment manager and see if they'd let you upgrade your thermostat to a programmable one that will automatically fluctuate at certain times. In most, if not all cases, you will have to pay for the new thermostat and the apartment will require it to remain in the apartment if you were to one day move out...but it would be well worth it.
Extra Help On Keeping Down That Bill- Losing heat through your windows and doors can add a significant difference to your heating expense as well. Try these extra easy things to keep cash in your pocket:
1) Let more heat in during the day by leaving your blinds open. Then close the blinds right before nightfall to trap in the heat. This is similar to the way the clouds trap heat on the earth through solar radiation. (Little science lesson for ya!)
2) Installing drapes can block a cool draft.
3) Adding carpets to a tiled entry can help absorb more heat than the tile alone.
4) Let your apartment manager know about old or worn weather stripping and crack seals around windows and doors. They should fix this for you.
Space Heater- If you find yourself in one area almost all of the time, you may try turning your central heat off all of the time and just use a space heater for that limited area. You will save a considerable amount of money, but be very careful when using space heaters. Never place them near curtains, cloth furniture, or anything flammable. It's also best to check with your apartments and see if they are allowed first because some apartment communities will not allow them.
Hopefully these tips can help you keep your energy bill down as we keep getting these waves of cold fronts all over the US. You can always pile on the blankets to save yourself some ducats!
