Save money and energy with efficiency upgrades you can take with you when you move (Photo: Flickr)

For transient apartment dwellers, energy upgrades you can take with you are a great way to save energy and money, even if you plan on moving. Check out these 22 tips to find movable methods of apartment modification and low-cost improvements that will save you energy wherever you reside.

1. Low-Flow Showerhead
Remove your old showerhead and replace it with a low-flow model. When you move, pack up the low-flow showerhead and put the original showerhead back on. More about
showerheads >>

2. Displace Water in Your Toilet Tank
Find a plastic bottle. Fill it with gravel. Place it in your toilet tank. You can leave this for the next tenant or take it with you.

3. Insulated Drapes/Blackout Curtains/Cellular Blinds
Covering your windows with insulated dressings such as blackout curtains or cellular blinds can significantly reduce your heating bills. These can be moved with you.

4. Draft Stoppers
Place easily movable draft stoppers in front of drafty doors and windows. They cost about ten bucks, or you can make them yourself. More about sealing your home >>

5. Plastic Window Insulation
Insulate your windows by covering them with plastic. You can remove the plastic when you leave the apartment.  More window efficiency tips >>

6. CFL Bulbs
CFLs can provide as much light as incandescent bulbs while saving you at least 30-60% on lighting costs. Also, be sure to turn off lights when not in use. More about CFLs >>

7. Shade Your Air Conditioner
If you have a window-mounted air conditioner, you can save energy and money by shading it from the sun. The cooler the air conditioner, the more efficient it runs.

8. Use Fans Instead of A/C
Reduce air conditioning costs by using fans, keeping windows and doors shut and closing shades during the day. More about heating and cooling >>

9. Pay Attention to Your Fridge
In an apartment building, 25% of your electric bill may go towards the fridge. Check the fridge’s seal, cover your food, and fill your fridge with water jugs to keep it full and colder.

10. Tinfoil + Radiator = Win
By lining the walls behind your radiators with tinfoil, you can increase the heat in your apartment with no extra electricity usage.

11. Surge Protectors/Power Bars
Phantom power is a problem, and it can be hard to remember to unplug every single appliance from the walls. With surge protectors and power bars, you only have to unplug one plug. Some power bars can stop phantom power with the flick of a switch.

12. Hot Water Bottle/Electric Blanket
Instead of turning up the thermostat, you can invest in an electric blanket or a hot water bottle. Each of these uses less energy than a central heating system.

13. Adjust the Thermostat
During the summer, a 5°F higher setting on your air conditioning thermostat will save about 10% on cooling costs. During the winter lowering the temperature 3 to 5°F can save you up to 20% on heating costs.

14. Repairs
One of the benefits of having a landlord is that they will fix things. Don’t let a slightly leaky faucet go un-repaired. On average, leaks account for 13% of home water usage. You can fix it yourself or get your landlord to do it.

15. Arrange Furniture Properly
Make sure your furniture isn’t blocking vents or baseboards.

16. Interior Storm Windows
You can put storm windows on the interior of your apartment windows. This can reduce heat loss through the windows by 25% to 50%.

17. Air Conditioner Cover
If you can’t remove a window-mounted air conditioner. Put a cover on it to stop heat loss. These are removable, reusable and cheap.

18. Aerators
Put aerators on your faucets to save water. Remove them and take them with you to your next apartment.

19. Door Sweep
Your landlord may have been cutting corners when he or she installed your door. If it’s drafty, you can nix that draft by putting a door sweep on your door.

20. Raise the Humidity in the Winter
Humidity makes your apartment feel warmer. Set pans of water near the radiator to increase humidity. Green plants are also good humidifiers.

21. Power Down Your PCs
Put computers to sleep when not in use and make sure to turn them completely off at night, since even sleep modes continue to draw power. More home office tips >>

22. Dishwasher Efficiency
Run your dishwasher and clothes washer only when fully loaded. Fewer loads reduce energy and water use. Use the air-dry option instead of the heat-dry. Check and clean the dishwasher drain.

• Find more conservation tips for everyday savings
• Browse our energy tips for the home to maximize your savings

Photo: Flickr

When the $787 billion dollar stimulus package was passed in Washington, $8 billion was allotted to state and local governments for energy efficiency, an important step in giving efficiency the support it needs. This money is now being distributed to the states and should soon lead to action on the ground. California will be getting $412 million, with $185.8 million going to weatherization for lower income households and $226.1 million going to support consumer rebates, promotion of ENERGY STAR products, renewable energy projects, and efficiency upgrades for state and local government buildings. Most other states are receiving considerable efficiency funds as well; examples include Michigan receiving $325 million; Indiana, $200 million; Florida, $300 million; and Virginia receiving $164 million.

The Weatherization Assistance programs in California and other states are especially important because they provide direct funds to families who are most impacted by high energy bills and least able to invest in energy efficiency without this help. These funds provide for home insulation, sealing leaks and modernizing heating and air conditioning equipment.

• Read more about energy efficiency in the stimulus package
• Learn more about how you can weatherize your home

Photo: Flickr

Tax season has arrived, and with it, another reminder that going green can save you cash. The U.S. government is offering tax breaks of up to $1,500 or more to homeowners who decide to green up their homes with energy efficiency measures in 2009 and 2010. Read on for a rundown of the tax breaks you may receive for upgrading your house in the next two years, and get started:

• Exterior Windows and Skylights
  As long as the U factor and the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient exceed .30, you can claim 30% or up to $1,500 dollars on new exterior windows and skylights.
• Storm Windows
  You can get a 30% or up to $1,500 dollar tax break on your storm windows, but they must reach Internal Energy Code Conservation Standards for your climate zone. This is in conjunction with your exterior windows. Make sure to ask for a Manufacturer’s Certification Statement when you purchase storm windows.
• Exterior Doors
  As long as the U factor and the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient exceed .30, you can claim 30% or up to $1,500 dollars on exterior doors.
• Storm Doors
  You get the same deal on storm doors that you get on storm windows. All standards and certifications are the same.
• Metal or Asphalt Roof
  By installing an ENERGY STAR qualified metal or asphalt roof, you can reclaim 30% or $1,500 dollars. Your roof must be expected to last five years (it should last longer) or have a two-year warranty.
• Insulation
  If your insulation meets 2009 IECC standards and is expected to last five years or comes with a two-year warranty, you can reclaim 30% or $1,500 smackers. In California, about one-third of residential energy bills go to home heating and cooling. Take advantage of this one.
• Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps
  You can get a 30% rebate, up to $1,500, on your air conditioner or heat pump if it meets certain qualifications.
• Furnaces and Boilers
  The infamous 30% rebate, up to $1,500, is back again for furnaces and boilers. You’ll also find advanced main air circulating fans on that list. As long as the fan uses no more than 2% of your furnace’s energy, you are qualified for a 30%, up to $1500, tax break on that as well.
• Water Heaters
  All oil, gas and propane water heaters are entitled for the ubiquitous 30%, up to $1500, tax break if they have an energy factor greater than .82 or have 90% thermal efficiency. All Energy Star electric heat pump water heaters are qualified for the same tax break.
• Solar Water Heating
  You can reclaim up to 30% of the cost on your solar water heater. There are, however, strings attached.

Experts also advise getting an energy audit before you install your upgrades to maximize your savings. You can learn more about federal tax credits for energy efficiency at energystar.gov.

• Schedule an audit and start upgrading your home now
• Explore more energy saving products for your home

(Image: California Department of Water Resources)

The Crisis: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently declared a state of emergency around California’s current drought. His declaration asks all urban residents to curtail water use by 20%, increases conservation efforts and allows the state to seek more federal funding for water projects and the transfer of water to areas facing shortages. According to California’s farm bureau, about 43% of water taken from lakes and reservoirs is used for farming. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said on February 20 it must cut its water allocation to farmers in California’s Central Valley for the first time in 15 years because of low reservoirs.

Slow to React: According to a recent report from Ceres (PDF, 1.1 MB), not enough businesses and investors are considering the potential for economic upheaval if water resources become as scarce as predicted. Decreasing availability, declining water quality and growing water demand are straining resources and profits. Manufacturing and agriculture sectors can expect decreased water allotments, shifts towards full-cost water pricing and increasingly severe water quality regulations, according to Ceres. Climate change and a world population predicted to grow by 50 million people annually will aggravate the problem.

Solutions

• Smart irrigation technology
• Wastewater recycling
• Indoor water-saving devices
• Conservation
• Recycled water

The Savings: According to a report we highlighted in May of 2008, using recycled water could save enough energy to power 150,000 California homes and slash carbon emissions by a half-million metric tons annually if it made full use of secondary and tertiary recycled water supplies. For residents, that may mean installing a greywater system like the one we reported on in June of last year.

How many more reasons do we need to save water?

• Find out how bad California’s drought really is
• See tips on 100 ways to conserve water for indoor and outdoor
• Become a WaterSense partner

You can now find tips, current news headlines and more on Flex Your Power’s Twitter feed. If you are already on Twitter, simply search for Flex Your Power and follow our tweets to stay up to speed on the latest energy efficiency news and tips. To sign up for a twitter account, visit twitter.com.

Be sure to tell your friends, family members, and colleagues about the Flex Your Power Twitter feed: a quick, fun and easy way to learn more about saving energy and money in your home. Tell five people and together we can help our homes help us all.