Greener Apartment Living

"Til now, man has been up against Nature; from now on, he will be up against his own nature." -Dennis Gabor, 1964 (Quote Garden)

Now, we always hear about how to "green up" our lifestyles by making small alterations to our homes and lifestyles. However, I found myself wondering how the large number of renters out there were going about making their lives a bit greener. When greening up your home can involve such large investments as purchasing new appliances, altering your home's heating, or other drastic changes, the thought of a green lifestyle can seem rather daunting. However, there are plenty of simple, easy, and best of all, inexpensive and easily movable ways to green up your lifestyle. As a renter, I find that these simple changes not only reduce my monthly electric bill, but give me a little peace of mind in knowing that I am lessening my carbon footprint.

TURN DOWN THE THERMOSTAT!

(greenliving.about.com)

My apartment has electric heat, so when winter comes along, I dread turning it on. In an apartment, there are a few simple, easy ways to conserve and utilize your heat. First of all, understand the obvious: Sweaters, sweatpants, slippers, and blankets can keep us very warm. Set the heat as low as possible! We really don't want the pipes to freeze, and don't want to be uncomfortably cold; however, it is completely unnecessary to set your heat above sixty or sixty five degrees. Keeping the doors to bedrooms closed and the bedroom thermostats down during the day can also cut back on your heating costs, in turn using less electricity. Stripping along doorways and windows can drastically cut back on heat loss as well. So, without making any changes to your apartment, you can save money and use much less electricity. It may be a habit to turn up the heat, but break it, and reach for a warm blanket or wrap instead of the thermostat.

INVEST IN A LOW-FLOW SHOWER HEAD!

Another simple change one can make in their apartment is purchasing a new, eco-friendly, water conserving shower head. Waterpik offers a wide variety of low-flow shower heads, which conserve water, reduce energy usage, help to protect the environment and natural water habitats, and of course, save you money on your water and electric bills. I bought my low-flow shower head from Walmart for about $18, but there is a wide variety of models, ranging from around $15 to $30. Save the apartment's original shower head so you can take your low-flow head with you when you move! This is simply another inexpensive investment that will ultimately help to save your money. (Not to mention the fact that these shower heads come with a variety of pressure settings; ultimately much nicer than the shower head I originally had in my apartment!) It's hard to "greenify" your apartment, but small purchases such as this are steps in the right direction to an ultimately greener life!




Works Cited

Quote Garden.  Quotations About the Environment.  2010.  Web.  27 November 2010.

Super Eco.  10 Easy Ways to Green Your Apartment.  2009.  Web.  24 November 2010.

Waterpik.  About Low-Flow Shower Heads.  2010.  Web.  28 November 2010.