Energy Saving Guide
Install a low-flow showerhead
This ensures you don’t waste water unnecessarily during showers.
Living in a condo can indeed be more environmentally friendly compared to living in a suburban house.
Here are 15 ways to save energy and water in your condo:
Choose a water-saving toilet
You don’t need a tank that holds several gallons of water to flush well. 1.6 is the accepted water-saving standard these days. Choose a water-saving toilet when buying new, or displace water in the tank you have using a plastic bottle weighted down with gravel.
This way, you’ll use less water every time you flush the toilet.
Hang insulated drapes
By covering your windows with cellular blinds or blackout curtains, you’ll be able to lower your heating bills by reducing the amount of hot air coming in through the windows.
Insulate attic, walls, and crawl spaces
These are especially useful for outlets that face an exterior wall. If you put your fingers in front of the outlet, you will be able to feel cold air coming into the
room if the outlet isn’t insulated.
Compost
Organize a community composting pick-up for your condo complex so all you need to do is collect your kitchen waste, then put it out at the curb for easy collection.
Use mobile draft stoppers near doors
If you can’t weatherstrip or insulate the door, at least put down a door stopper to block cold air from coming in
Insulate windows
Use weatherstripping or caulk you can get at your local hardware store to seal leaky windows.
Replace old bulbs with LEDs
LEDs are the most efficient bulbs on the market. Though they cost a little bit more, they save a lot more energy, and last longer, as well.
Turn off lights and electronics when not in use
Often times, people forget to turn off the lights when they leave for work, or even when they’re away for a holiday. You can make this simple by installing sensors in your rooms that will automatically turn the lights off when no movement in the room is detected.
Use Smart Thermostat
Use a smart thermostat. Refrigerators, stoves, microwaves, dishwashers, washing machines, clothes driers, most electronics, and even your HVAC system are all available in highly efficient models. Check ENERGYSTAR.gov before you buy.
Beware of energy vampires
To avoid unnecessary spikes in energy use. Power bars also prevent phantom power with just one switch.
Set the right mood
Leaks make up 13% of home water usage. You can actually do this job yourself
– check this video
Keep your condo clean
You will usually just need to screw it onto the faucet to avoid splashing a stream of water when you open the faucet
Look for energy-saving appliances
Depending on your proximity to city center, you might be able to get a bike-sharing station set up in your condo complex to link your community to other parts of the city by bike. Even without bike sharing, take advantage of your proximity to work, shopping and
entertainment by riding your own bike, walking or using mass transit.
Create an organic
community garden
Set up a farmers’ market or CSA for your complex. Making it easy to grown your own organic food will save you money and trips to the grocery store. Getting a CSA to deliver pre-reserved bags of locally grown food to your complex will also cut down on how much grocery shopping you need to do while providing a reliable source of delicious fresh fruits, vegetables, baked goods, and in some cases, meats.