Energy Saving And Safety Tips For Renters
These days, almost all Texas residents want to find ways to energy saving. While either your building’s management company or landlord will be responsible for the energy efficiency of your residence, you still have some measures available to you that you can take to reduce your monthly energy bill. That’s where pay-as-you-go electricity plans come into the picture.
Conserving Energy from Electronics
The power for your electronics will most likely make up a large part of your energy bill. When you think about all of the power that those laptops, televisions, and smartphones use, the amount of energy usage can eat a hole in your pocket if you’re not careful. If you have a power strip, use that for your devices. When you switch off the strip, there won’t be any standby draw from your family’s devices. Not only does this save you money, but you protect you and your family from power surges.
When you’re not using your laptops, either turn them off or place them in sleep mode. It’s a myth that turning off your computer harms it. If you don’t work to energy saving, your electronics alone could cost you 20 percent of your electricity bill.
You can also save money by leveraging new lighting technology that can reduce electricity usage by up to 75 percent. Use an energy efficient bulb such as compact fluorescent bulbs in your home. These bulbs use one quarter of the energy that the old incandescent variety does. To save even more money on your prepaid energy bill, install a timer that limits the amount of time your lights are turned on in a room.
Some other ways that you can conserve energy in your apartment or home includes some of the following tips:
- Set your freezer to no more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Set the temperature of your refrigerator to no less than 39 degrees F.
- Only preheat your oven when you’re baking.
- In summer, use open windows and fans for cooling off instead of an air conditioner.
- Cover all pots and pans when you cook meals.
- During the day, use the sunlight coming into your home to light rooms instead of electricity.
- Become energy efficient in your Texas apartment or home.
You should never use an extension cord as a permanent electricity solution. Use them only with portable appliances and plug them into the correct receptacles, adapters, or power taps. Ensure that any extension cord you use doesn’t have any visible damage such as splices. Only pair three-pronged extension cords with appliances that come with matching plugs.
If your apartment or home has older wiring, it may not be able to work with the demand of modern day appliances. When an appliance you use constantly trips off the electricity, disconnect the appliance at once and call your landlord to fix the issue.
When using electricity in your apartment or home, keep the following tips in mind:
- Never use a frayed cord.
- Pull all plugs out of the socket by the plug, not by the cord.
- Have your landlord replace any loose-fitting plugs in a socket. Ignoring this situation could cause the outlet to overheat and catch fire.
- Don’t remove the third prong off of a plug to make it fit in a socket.
- Get all broken wall plates replaced by your landlord.
- Only match light bulbs with lamps that have the correct wattage. If you can’t find the required wattage on a lamp, the bulb you use should be no more than 60 watts.
Summary: Prepaid electricity plans sound great, but how do you save money on your bill? This article offers you tips on saving energy as well as safety measures that will keep you out of danger and help you save money, too.
