This story is adapted from one5c‘s complete guide to home energy efficiency. Check out the whole thing here.
If you’re among the 45 million households in America that rent their home, making your apartment or house more energy efficient might feel out of reach. If a landlord hasn’t invested in big-ticket items like a heat pump and induction cooktop, why would a renter spend their own money to upgrade a space that isn’t theirs? (Homeowners: Don’t stop reading. This advice is just as valid in a place you own.)
The answer is simple: to save the planet and some money. You’ll also probably enjoy being in your home more, too. “The changes that you make can improve your comfort and reduce your bills,” says Amy Royden-Bloom, manager of the Residential Buildings Program at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “So it’s not just energy savings but making where you live more comfortable.”
From low-cost updates to simple maintenance tasks, here are nine upgrades that can make your rental a comfy, cozy, and more energy-efficient home.
1. Check your HVAC filters
Home heating and cooling systems require a lot of power, accounting for 43% of the average American’s utility bill. Issues or inefficiencies can lead to a sweaty home—and a big energy bill. A grimy air conditioning filter has to work much harder, increasing energy consumption by as much as 15%, according to the Department of Energy (DOE). If the filter looks dirty (check that puppy monthly if you can), change it. At a minimum, Royden-Bloom says to change the filter every three months to make sure the HVAC is working and that the air pumping through the house is clean.
2. Install some cellular blinds
According to the DOE, about 30% of a home’s heating energy is lost through windows. During warmer months, 76% of the sunlight that hits typical double-pane windows becomes heat inside the home. Investing in coverings is the easiest way to keep your home regulated and ease the stress on your HVAC. The DOE recommends cellular shades to keep the rays at bay. They not only provide privacy and light-filtering, but their honeycomb structure acts as an insulator, reducing heat loss, minimizing cold drafts near windows, and lowering unwanted solar heat gain. A 2020 study conducted by the DOE found the shades save up to 15% on total energy compared to a scenario without any shades.
3. Mind those gaps
A well-sealed home is an efficient home. The EPA estimates a household can save an average of 15% on heating and cooling costs by sealing doors and insulating the attic, floors, and basements. Though many air-sealing projects require a contractor—which really makes them the landlord’s problem—Royden-Bloom recommends renters caulk around windows as well as install weather stripping and draft stoppers around doors to plug up any gaps.
4. Replace incandescent bulbs with LEDs
Incandescent bulbs are wildly inefficient, especially compared to modern LEDs. The main problem is that they produce more heat than light. Only 10% of the electricity used by an incandescent bulb is used for lighting; the remaining 90% is released as heat. You probably don’t have many of these power-hungry bulbs lurking in your home at this point: A ban on their sale and manufacturing went into effect in August 2023. Even so, it’s good to check and swap out any you find for LEDs. Going fully LED can save homeowners as much as $225 a year.
5. Use your thermostat’s brains
Wi-Fi connected smart thermostats can shave as much as 8% off annual heating and cooling bills when used correctly. These devices learn your heating and cooling patterns and automatically adjust to a more efficient temperature (typically around 7 degrees higher in the summer) when you’re not home during the day. Learning how to best take advantage of it—or, if you don’t have one, asking a landlord to install one—is a simple step toward a more efficient home and a skinnier utility bill.
6. Slay energy vampires
Many plugged-in devices hoover up electrons when not in use. (Looking at you, cable boxes, TVs, coffee machines, chargers, and video game consoles.) Colloquially called “energy vampires,” such devices, per the Natural Resources Defense Council, may be responsible for as much as 20% of a home’s energy consumption. To put a stake through these suckers, the NRDC recommends several steps: purchasing Energy Star certified products, utilizing power-saving settings on certain electronics, and plugging devices into timers, power strips with a master switch, or a smart power strip that you can control remotely.
7. Clean your fridge’s coils…
A condenser coil, which is most often located in the back of your fridge, is what allows the appliance to transfer heat from the inside to the outside and keep your vittles cool. When these get gunky, it creates a barrier that can make it more difficult to dissipate heat, causing the fridge to work harder to maintain its internal temp. Cleaning the condenser coils every few months with a Swiffer-style wand and dust pad can help ensure an icebox is operating more efficiently—and lasts longer.
8. …and your dryer vent
If there’s a dryer in your rental, you should be cleaning out its vent every year regardless of your quest for energy efficiency, because lint build-up is a fire hazard. A lint-clogged dryer vent also leads to a much more inefficient machine, as it needs to work harder to circulate the hot air. The same goes for a dirty lint trap: Clean that sucker between every load.
9. Maintain the right appliance temps
Keeping appliances, like your fridge, at recommended settings improves their efficiency and longevity. If you’re unsure about the water heater, that’s a conversation for your landlord, but the fridge and freezer are well within your powers as a renter. The fridge should be set between 35 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit, with optimal performance right around 37, and the freezer should chill at 0. And remember: a fuller fridge is a more efficient fridge.