The problem with most articles about energy saving throughout the seasons is that they're geared for homeowners. As a tenant, you might be worrying about the cost of all this. The high heat of summer can make keeping cool a challenge and as the temperature drops and cold spells become more frequent, it becomes even more important for tenants to efficiently heat their rental properties. But fear not, there are many effective ways of keeping your rental property warm in the winter and cool in the Summer whilst keeping costs down. Here are some inexpensive and homemade ways to do it!
We’ll start off with winter,
Firstly you can do something super simple, that’s really effective.
Close all of the doors of the rooms you’re not using. One way of chilly air moving around a house – or, more to the point, heat escaping a room – is for doors to be left wide open. By closing the doors in your property, it will help to keep rooms as warm and toasty as possible, to capture rather than lose the heat you have mustered. Also turn off the radiators of the empty rooms to prevent cold air to move into the rest of the house is also a good tip.
Hanging out washing on radiators to help it dry more quickly is something most of us have been guilty of doing but this can actually affect your home’s ability to heat itself. If you invest in a clothes horse then you’re able to dry your clothes and let the radiators do their job of warming up your space. Try to avoid placing large furniture in front of radiators. Placing furniture in front of radiators means it doesn’t circulate around the room properly, and you’ll find yourself still just as cold as before. If your radiator is underneath a window and you have curtains make sure when you close the curtains to tuck them behind the radiator to keep all the warmth in.
Covering small drafts is another must! A lot of drafts coming through the letterbox, under the door, etc. It is amazing how even a small burst of air can make a room is much colder. Invest in a draught excluder bar or cushion to place where you need them to be! They might not sound very glamorous, but they do serve a very useful purpose. These handy little things come in all shapes, sizes and colours, and are excellent at keeping the heat in and the cold out.
This isn’t exactly the most inexpensive option when it comes to the cold. The floor represents 10 % of heat loss if it is not isolated and wood floors have to deal with heat loss . Carpets and rugs can help mitigate this problem and added the advantage of keeping your feet warm .Stay snug… with a rug. Having small area rugs will help benefit the general temperature in the room.
Now onto Summer,
A nice breeze flowing between two windows can cool your house several degrees. Additionally, rotate the open windows as the sun moves around the house during the day. This way you can close the blinds on the sun.If you’ve only got the one window in your room keep that one open, then your door and through to the kitchen. Making a cross breeze will make all the difference. Make sure you shut down unnecessary electronic devices. Here's another year-round energy saver. During the summer, however, it's even more important to pull the plug on home electronics. Anything with a transformer creates heat. Shut down unused desktop computers (they have cooling fans for a reason); televisions; entertainment systems — pretty much everything with a plug.
Here's a low-tech idea for beneath the sheets: fill a hot water bottle or two with icy water. It's like a refrigerator for your bed, you can put them under your pillow too so when you eventually warm up your side of the pillow you can quickly turn it over and sleep comfortable again. If you don’t have the time for that you can try a Chillow, a chill pillow that needs no electricity and no prep.
Drink plenty of water. You can't sweat if you’re dehydrated., Drinking lots of water will temporarily cool your body core and help you somewhat be cool no matter how warm it is around you. Alcohol and caffeinated drinks tend to dehydrate, so choose wisely. Use box fans to improve air circulation. You can get them relatively cheap, and it’s worth it to sit in front of every now and again to help cool you down. Just keep in mind that fans are for people, not rooms. There's no point running them when nobody is around.
The above tips could help you to keep your property warm as the winter months hit, and cool as the summer months come around too. All whilst saving you money in the process. Remember, if you’re not sure what you’re able to do to your property under your tenancy agreement always check with your landlord first. Using these tips really can make a difference. Whether you use one or the whole lot throughout the year, you are certain to make cost effective savings while keeping comfortable at the same time.
Written by: City Rooms