Go Green to Save Green with These Winter Energy Tips

Don’t let Ohio’s chilly winters rack up your energy costs. Here are some tips to help you save on electric, water and heating expenses.

Lower Your Electricity Usage

Winter nights come earlier but limiting your lighting will help you save a chunk of change.

Turn off the lights in unoccupied rooms.
Unplug appliances, lamps and chargers that aren’t in use to limit phantom power.
Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs. LED bulbs use 90% less energy than their incandescent counterparts.
Plug multiple appliances and electronics into a power strip for easy management.
Clean your refrigerator compressor coils regularly and check the seals on the doors to ensure they’re not leaking cool air.
Open your curtains or blinds during the day to let in natural light.

Dishes, laundry and long showers can send your water bill sky high, but these tips will help you keep it under control.

Don’t rinse your dishes before loading them in the dishwasher. Scrape food scraps into the garbage to save money on water.
Only run your dishwasher and washing machine with full loads to optimize water usage.
Turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth.
Install faucet aerators to eliminate leaks.
Taking shorter showers and putting in low-flow showerheads will reduce the amount of water you use to bathe.
Displace the water in your toilet tank with an empty water bottle to limit how much is needed to fill the tank. Weigh the bottle down with marbles or pebbles.
Notify your community’s management and maintenance team to repair leaky faucets.

Frosty days and frigid nights make it tempting to crank the heat, but these tips will help you manage your energy costs and stay warm.

Turn down the thermostat while you’re out or sleeping. Lowering your thermostat seven to 10 degrees for eight hours a day can save you up to 10% on your annual heating bill.
Wear several layers of light clothing and wrap up in blankets to stay warm without turning up the heat.
Install weather strips or film to keep heat from seeping out of the windows.
Place towels or blankets at the base of windows and doors to stop drafts.
Move furniture away from air vents for better heat circulation.
Replace your furnace filter. A clogged, dirty filter makes it difficult for your furnace to pump heat efficiently.
Lay rugs on hardwood and tile floors to improve insulation.

Contact Preferred Living to learn about the energy-saving features in our luxury apartments in Columbus, Ohio.