We may not have solar power, digital thermostats, or tankless water heaters to minimize your electricity use, but there are several things that you can do to save on your electric bills.
Energy Efficient Bulbs: Replace all the bulbs in your apartment with these compact florescent lights. Especially in the bathrooms...it may not be as attractive, but you can replace all four of your larger incandescent bulbs with only one CFL.
Water Heater: Turn the breaker to your water heater off when it's not in use. This way you're only heating the water you need when you need it. But, you do have to get in the habit of remembering to turn it on and off. That's the hard part for me.
Thermostat: Don't turn your air conditioning OFF, because this will make the unit run twice as hard when you turn it back on. Instead turn it up or down five or so degrees when it's not in use.
Heat/Air Efficiency: Don't heat or cool a room that is not in use. Simply close the vent to that area. Also leave bedroom doors open when possible. This helps the heat or air circulate throughout the apartment.
Window Treatments: Mary says curtains are what makes a home say hello. Help your home say hello and stay cool by adding black out curtains. They make an incredible difference in the temperature of your home.
Phantom Electricity: Unplug EVERYTHING when not in use. You could also do what I do and put your cell phone charger, television, dvd player, etc. plugged into the top row of outlets. This enables me to be able to flip my "extra" light switch off and kill the power to these items.
These are just a handful of tips that you can use to help maintain a lower electric bill. Do your own research and find tips that are useful to you, but be sure to share them with the rest of us!
