Renters, Lower Your Heating Bill This Winter With These 8 Tips
Before buying a house, I rented several apartments in southwestern Ohio, which gets so cold in the winter (and fall and sometimes spring) that I may as well have lived in Alaska.
The problem with every single apartment I lived in was the same: It was exorbitantly expensive to heat them in the winter due to old systems, ancient windows and poor insulation.
Luckily, the house I purchased has great new windows, excellent insulation and doors that actually close properly.
It’s much more challenging to combat these issues in apartments because, as a renter, you can’t just invest in new windows or redo the insulation. In my eight years of renting, however, I discovered a number of ways to cut back on my apartment heating bills.
8 Inexpensive Ways Renters Can Lower Their Heating Bills
1. Close Off Unused Rooms
If you live in a two- or three-bedroom apartment but use one of the rooms for storage, exercise or guests, close the door and shut the vents in that room when it is not in use. Otherwise, you will unnecessarily be heating an unused space.
And if the space is so infrequently used, consider downsizing to a smaller apartment the next time your lease is up. If you stay within the same apartment complex, you often will not have to pay new deposits.
2. Turn Down the Heat
An easy way to lower your heating bill in the winter is to run your heat at a lower temperature.
Obviously, you need to keep your apartment warm enough to prevent your pipes from freezing, but if you can stand the chill, turn down the thermostat to the low- to mid-60s. Bundle up in sweatshirts, thick socks and blankets to stay warm — and don’t forget to cover up your pets, too.
3. Use a Space Heater
OK, so you’ve turned the heat down, closed off unused rooms and bundled up in blankets, but you’re still feeling chilly. A small space heater might do the trick — and you can purchase one for less than $30.
Rather than wasting the energy to heat the whole apartment, keep a space heater nearby. Running a little bit of heat in one small area is more affordable than heating your entire living space.
4. Insulate Your Windows
One apartment I lived in shortly after college had a living room with one wall that was entirely windows, overlooking a quaint pond. I toured the apartment in the springtime and was immediately sold. Little did I know that these single-pane windows would be the bane of my existence just nine months later when frost began forming on the inside.
Since renters can’t control whether their landlords install replacement windows (though I spent at least an hour a week in the office demanding that mine do so, to no avail), finding temporary ways to keep heat from leaking out is crucial.
You can do this by hanging thick curtains in front of the windows, but an even better solution (or a solution to combine with the curtains) is purchasing a window insulation film kit. You can get a kit to insulate 10 windows for under $15.
If it is your first time installing, ask someone who’s done it for help. When incorrectly installed, your window will look like it’s been covered in shrink wrap.
5. Stop Eating Out
Of course you can save money on meals by eating at home instead of dining out, but in the winter, baking and cooking can have the added benefit of reducing your heating bill.
When you cook in your oven and on the stove top, heat emanates into your kitchen and surrounding rooms. Crack the oven open after turning it off to let the remaining heat filter out into your home.
6. Block Out Drafts From Your Door
The bottoms of exterior doors are a major culprit for heat loss in the winter. If you can see daylight creeping in from beneath your door or feel a cool breeze, speak to your landlord about addressing this issue.
You can temporarily improve the situation by rolling up a towel and blocking the bottom of the door.
7. Weather Strip Like Crazy
Weather stripping for doors and windows is key to retaining heat in the winter (and keeping it out in the summer). If your windows and doors are letting too much heat out, ask your landlord to replace the weather stripping.
If you encounter a landlord who dodges your requests, tell them in writing that you will be replacing the weather stripping yourself. Do not make it a question.
It’s a minor cost (again, something you can buy for under 15 bucks) but it could save you big-time on heating bills.
8. Leave a Review
If you are stuck in a lease at an apartment community that does not take your maintenance concerns seriously, remember that online reviews are your friend. Leave reviews on Google, social media and the Better Business Bureau site if your landlord ignores or refuses your reasonable requests.
I’ve had to leave reviews more than once, and conveniently, the landlords took care of the issues the very next day.
Before you know it, winter will come and go. Reduce energy consumption year-round by also reading our tips for reducing utility bills in the summer.
Timothy Moore is a market research editor and freelance writer covering topics on personal finance, careers, education, pet care and automotive. He has worked in the field since 2012 and has been featured on sites like The Penny Hoarder, Debt.com, Ladders, Glassdoor and The News Wheel.
