3 Tips for Saving Money on Utilities

Living in a college apartment means more freedom. It’s a step toward adulthood. This freedom includes the unfortunate responsibility of paying monthly bills. Previously, we looked at how to account for your rent. While saving money toward your rent is important, you also need to save money to pay your utilities bill every month.

Here are a few tips to help you save money on your college apartment utilities.

Pay Attention to the Thermostat

Heating and cooling your apartment is the highest energy expense you will face. The best way to control this cost is to keep an eye on the thermostat. During the winter, Consider reducing the temperature at least one degree while you’re home. The difference between 67 and 68 degrees will likely not be noticeable to you, but it will make a difference on your bill. Lower the temperature even further when you will be out of the apartment for an extended period of time. If you will be leaving to head to class or visit friends, drop the thermostat 5 degrees or more.

During the summer, raise it a degree or two when you will be home and see if you notice the temperature difference. Raise it even higher when you won’t be home.

Check Your Layout

Be sure that you don’t have your heating registers blocked by furniture. You don’t want to heat the couch base, you want to heat the apartment.

Be sure to have window treatments such as curtains or blinds. This will allow you to control the amount of sun coming into the apartment, so you can keep your apartment warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer naturally.

Vampire Energy

You can easily save money on utilities by making sure your computer and television go into sleep mode when not in use. Even when these devices aren’t being used, they often consume power. This is a waste of electricity. Consider installing a smart power strip for your electronic devices which can help avoid vampire energy charges.

Also make sure you’re using energy-efficient light bulbs such as LEDs. They use significantly less energy than a standard light bulb. Although the cost is higher up front, you can take the bulb with you when you move out of the apartment and install it at your post-college home to continue the savings.

These are just a few ways that you can cut down on the cost of utilities. Do you have other strategies for saving money on utilities? Let us know about them in the comment section below.