If you rent an apartment, townhouse, or a home, these simple yet often overlooked tips will show you how to be more energy efficient while saving money, and reducing the risks and challenges we face of climate change. If there are things you can't change on your own, share these tips and encourage your landlord or property manager to help you make the changes necessary to improve your communities energy efficiency and the costs associated.
Lighting is one of the easiest places to start saving energy. Replacing your five most frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with ENERGY STAR certified lights can save nearly $45 a year in energy costs. ENERGY STAR certified LED light bulbs provide high-quality light output, use up to 90% less energy, and last 15 times longer than standard bulbs, saving money on energy bills and replacement costs.
Considering purchasing a room air conditioner? Choose an ENERGY STAR certified model. They use 9 percent less energy than standard models and on average, cost less than $70 per year to run. ENERGY STAR certified room air conditioners come with better materials and clearer instructions to improve sealing and insulation around the unit, so costly and uncomfortable air leaks are minimized.
ENERGY STAR certified room air conditioners with connected functionality offer additional convenience, comfort and energy-savings, including the ability to:
To keep out the heat of the summer sun, close window shades and drapes in warm weather. During cold weather, take advantage of the sun's warmth by keeping drapes open during daylight hours.
For the average American household, almost half the annual energy bill goes to heating and cooling – more than $900 a year! Being smart about how you control your temperature settings will help you save money and stay comfortable in your home. If possible, install a smart thermostat to automatically adjust your home's temperature settings for optimal performance. An ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostat can reduce your heating and cooling bill by more than 8% and save you about $50 a year, on average. If your home is unoccupied much of the day, an ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostat can save approximately $100 a year.
Consumer electronics play an large role in your home's energy consumption. According to the Consumer Technology Association, 3.4 billion consumer electronic devices consumed about 143 tWh of electricity in 2017, representing about 10% of residential sector electricity consumption. A home equipped with televisions, set-top boxes, a Blu-Ray player and a soundbar that have earned the ENERGY STAR cna save nearly $140 over the life of those products.
Make sure all air registers are clear of furniture so that air can circulate freely. If your home has radiators, place heat-resistant reflectors between radiators and walls. In the winter, this will help heat the room instead of the wall.
Several apartment and condo communities have started to adopt on-site shared solar. Thanks to the growing innovations, tools and research in the field of clean energy, there is some hope for tenants and landlords in California who are looking for affordable utility options. One such tool for relief is Ivy’s multi-family billing software called Virtual Grid. It lets property owners purchase a solar asset to generate electricity onsite, which in turn, can be sold to their tenants in that building.
The Ivy Intelligent software is run using proprietary virtual grid algorithms to distribute solar energy. This is based on real-time energy usage data and relates this solar allocation to exact avoided utility rates, creating the best method to equally distribute the benefits among all the tenants.
Why choose Ivy for your Solar Energy needs?
Ivy’s solar energy distribution helps in creating a win-win situation for various reasons:
Get in touch with Ivy today, to know more about how you can get guaranteed savings from solar by referring your building owner or property manager to Ivy Virtual Grid.
Shower/Bath
A ten minute shower can use less water than a full bath.
Dishwashing
Save water by scraping dishes instead of rinsing them before loading in the dishwasher. Run your dishwasher with a full load and use the air-dry option if available.
Clothes Washing
Wash your laundry with cold water whenever possible. To save water, try to wash full loads or, if you must wash a partial load, reduce the level of water appropriately.
Clothes Drying
Don't over dry your clothes. If your dryer has a moisture sensor that will automatically turn the machine off when clothes are done, use it to avoid over drying. Remember to clean the lint trap before every load. Dry full loads, or reduce drying time for partial loads.
CA has passed laws like AB802 and Title 24, mandating renewable energy on certain multi-family properties?
Click Here to learn more about how you can comply while turning a profit with Ivy’s Virtual Grid alternative to traditional Sub Metering.