Energy Saving Tips For Renters:

Did you know that the typical U.S family spends about $2,000 a year family on home utility bills? Unfortunately, a large portion of that energy is wasted, and each year electricity generated by fossil fuels for a single home puts more carbon dioxide into the air than two average cars. The good news is that there is a lot you can do to save energy and money at home. Start making small changes today. To cut your energy use up to 25% by following the tips below. The key to achieving these savings in your home/apartment is a whole-house energy efficiency plan. If you read and practice the tips from below you will lower your bills and help make our world a whole-world  energy saving planet one family at a time.

Heating
Check furnace filter monthly; replace as needed. If health permits, keep the thermostat at 68°F or below. Lower the thermostat at night and when you're gone (55°F lowest setting). Keep registers and cold air returns clear of furniture and drapes. Open drapes to allow sun in. Close them at night. Cover wall-mounted air conditioners with plastic film or an air-tight cover. Cover interior of windows with shrink-film plastic. Electric heat is the most expensive. Close off rooms you are not using. Turn down thermostats on closed-off rooms.
Never use open flames or candles for heating. Damage from fires is much more expensive than heating bills.

Try to teach children to keep doors closed and discuss other ways of conserving heat and saving energy. If yours haven't turned out a light since they were old enough to stop playing with the light switch - good luck!

Check tax breaks and homeowner's insurance policies for savings when you add energy conserving items to your home.
Check with your local electric company to find out if they have times during the day when the rates are lower. Using the oven, dishwasher, washing machine and other energy demanding appliances during these times may lead to big savings.

Air Conditioning
Air conditioning can be your biggest electricity user in the summer. Turn off your air conditioner when no one is home. Close your drapes and shades to keep the sun out. Use room fans or ceiling fans instead of air-conditioning. Turn off fans when room is unoccupied.
Install a programmable thermostat to keep your house comfortably warm in the winter   and comfortably cool in the summer
Whole-house fans help cool your home by pulling cool air through the house and exhausting warm air through the attic.
Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be.

Avoid setting your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and, therefore, unnecessary expense.

Consider using an interior fan in conjunction with your window air conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively through your home without greatly increasing your power use.

Avoid placing lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.

Plant trees or shrubs to shade air conditioning units but do not to block the airflow. Place your room air conditioner on the north side of the house. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun.

Water heating
Water heating is the second largest single energy user in most homes. Set water heater temperature at 120°F.Conserve hot water. Install a low-flow showerhead. Tell the owner about dripping faucets or water heater leaks. Install aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads. Drain a quart of water from your water tank every 3 months to remove sediment that impedes heat transfer and lowers the efficiency of your heater. The type of water tank you have determines the steps to take, so follow the manufacturer's advice. Although most water heaters last 10–15 years, it's best to start shopping now for a new one if yours is more than 7 years old. Doing some research before your heater fails will enable you to select one that most appropriately meets your needs.

Appliances
Check for the ENERGY STAR® label when looking at the appliances in the rental property. They use less energy than comparable products.
Refrigerators older than 1990 can use three times as much electricity the as new ones.

MGE has given portable energy meters to area libraries. Check one out to see how much electricity appliances use. Cook in a microwave oven rather than a stove. Turn off TV, radio, stereo and computers when not at home.

Electronics
Many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched off. These "phantom" loads occur in most appliances that use electricity, such as VCRs, televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances. In the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics and appliances is consumed while the products are turned off. This can be avoided by unplugging the appliance or using a power strip and using the switch on the power strip to cut all power to the appliance.
For older appliances, use a power controlling device to reduce the energy consumption of the appliance's electric motor.
Periodically inspect your dryer vent to ensure it is not blocked. This will save energy and may prevent a fire. Manufacturers recommend using rigid venting material, not plastic vents that may collapse and cause blockages.
Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use (TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power).
Saving energy starts with being an informed consumer.
Studies have shown that using rechargeable batteries for products like cordless phones and PDAs is more cost effective than throwaway batteries. If you must use throwaways, check with your trash removal company about safe disposal options.
There is a common misconception that screen savers reduce energy use by monitors; they do not. Automatic switching to sleep mode or manually turning monitors off is always the better energy-saving strategy. To maximize savings with a laptop, put the AC adapter on a power strip that can be turned off (or will turn off automatically); the transformer in the AC adapter draws power continuously, even when the laptop is not plugged into the adapter.

• Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.
  
• Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use.
  
• Use the cool-down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.
  
• Wash and dry full loads. If you are washing a small load, use the appropriate water-level setting.
  
• When shopping for a new clothes dryer, look for one with a moisture sensor that automatically shuts off the machine when your clothes are dry. Not only will this save energy, it will save wear and tear on your clothes caused by over-drying.
• Turn off your monitor when you're away from your PC for 20 minutes or more. If you will be away for two hours or more, turn off your personal computer and monitor.

Lighting

Making improvements to your lighting is one of the fastest ways to cut your energy bills. An average household dedicates 11% of its energy budget to lighting. Using new lighting technologies can reduce lighting energy use in your home by 50% to 75%. Advances in lighting controls offer further energy savings by reducing the amount of time lights are on but not being used.

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs)

They will save you about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime. Producing about 75% less heat, they are safer to operate and can cut home cooling costs. Visit www.energystar.gov to find the right light bulbs for your fixtures. They are available in sizes and shapes to fit in almost any fixture. They provide the greatest savings in fixtures that are on for a long time each day. The best fixtures to use qualified CFLs in are usually found in your family and living rooms, kitchen, dining room, bedrooms, and outdoors.

Consider purchasing ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures. They are available in many styles including table, desk and floor lamps — and hard-wired options for front porches, dining rooms, bathroom vanity fixtures, and more. ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures distribute light more efficiently and evenly than standard fixtures and they deliver convenient features such as dimming on some indoor models. Controls such as timers and photo cells save electricity by turning lights off when not in use. Dimmers save electricity when used to lower light levels. Be sure to select products that are compatible with CFL bulbs; not all products work with CFLs. When remodeling, look for recessed downlights, or "cans", that are rated for contact with insulation (IC rated). Take advantage of daylight by using light-colored, loose-weave curtains on your windows to allow daylight to penetrate the room while preserving privacy. Also, decorate with lighter colors that reflect daylight.
I hope you will take these tips and use them to save money and the Earth.