Green Tips for Tenants
Many of the eco-tips in the past have offered suggestions for homeowners. However, you can still be green even if you don’t own a home. Today’s column offers environmentally friendly tips for those who live in an apartment or rental home. Each of these tips can be accomplished with little or no cost, and without any permanent changes to the dwelling.
First on the list is reducing the heating requirements. Most renters cannot change the furnace, insulation or thermostat in a rental. The eco-friendly tenant can reduce the amount of heating required by reducing the heat loss and effective building size.
Reducing the heat loss can be done by ensuring that all the windows are fully closed and that doors seal properly. If a door or window is still drafty, a draft blocker can be used to reduce the heat loss. A draft blocker (sometimes called a door snake) can be made from any thick fabric and filled with sand, dried beans or even unused kitty litter. For thin or drafty windows, the fabric in curtains can help reduce window heat loss. Keeping curtains open during the day and closed at night is an effective way to take advantage of passive solar heating when it’s daylight and sealing in the warm air for the night.
To reduce the effective building size, first determine if there are rooms that are not used frequently. Many heating systems have a register that can close off forced air heat coming into the room. Close these vents and turn off any electric heaters. If the room uses hot water baseboards, you need to be mindful of potential pipe freeze. Check with the landlord first before shutting off the heating water to the room. While closing the vents, be sure to unplug any unused appliances in the room to eliminate “stand-by” electric use. Finally, use a draft blocker to keep cool air in the room from leaking into other parts of the house. If there are rooms both upstairs and downstairs, keep the doors to the upstairs rooms closed to minimize the temperature difference between upstairs and downstairs.
Besides running the furnace, there are other ways to help keep a room warm. If there is only one or two rooms that need to be kept warm at night, consider using a warm humidifier in the rooms and lowering the thermostat. The humid air will help the room retain its heat. Electric space heaters are a viable option for short duration heating under a desk or a single person. Kerosene and other portable space heaters are another alternative, but there are many safety recommendations from the manufacturer and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (www.cpsc.gov) that must be followed and there is still much debate whether a home furnace is more efficient and effective than space heaters.
Conserving water is a little bit trickier for tenants. If the plumbing is maintained by the landlord, leaky sinks or toilets should be repaired as soon as possible. The landlord may also be willing to install a low-flow shower head (if there is not already one in place) since they cost very little and do reduce the water bill. To save water when flushing the toilet, place a toilet tank dam or a ½ gallon milk jug filled with water in the tank. Make sure it does not interfere with normal operation. In the kitchen, minimize use of the sink garbage disposal as this uses a lot of water.
Renting a home doesn’t preclude a person from being environmentally friendly. With the tips above and a little creativity, tenants can substantially reduce both their environmental impact and utility bills. Additionally, it’s not just renters who can benefit from these practices. Each of these techniques can be used by homeowners and tenants alike.
