5 Ways for Apartment Renters to Save Money on Winter Heating Bills

Winter is almost upon us – are you prepared? When it comes to saving money on winter and heating bills in your home – things are a little easier, because you have the freedom to make adjustments. Yet, when it comes to an apartment you are renting, things get a little trickier. If you start to notice higher than usual heating bills, chances are something needs to be repaired – the thermostat, ductwork or even the heating unit itself. But it can be hard to motivate a landlord to make those costs, which can leave you shivering in the dark all winter long. Luckily, there are a number of ways to save money on heating bills – without sacrificing your comfort or sanity. Here are five ways for apartment renters to save money on winter heating bills.

1. Floor heaters. If your apartment heating system is on the fritz and causing you to spend more of your net worth than you’d like on warming your home, a floor heater can be an excellent alternative. Today’s floor heaters are both fire-safe and they are energy efficient – sometimes a lot more energy efficient than your apartment’s system – if it was working properly.
2. Turn the thermostat on low, or on automatic low. If you don’t have many other options but to use your apartment’s energy sucking heating system, you might have to simply deal with keeping the home only moderately heated. In the wintertime, any heat is heat. By keeping the thermostat on low you can keep the house comfortable, but not spend a fortune on your heating bills. If you want to further keep the heat in, you might want to seal up windows and doors to prevent drafts from getting in, which can make your apartment even more energy inefficient.
3. If all else fails, just wear a sweater and winter socks inside the home – a good winter hat wouldn’t hurt either. If your home is too cold to bear and you are spending an arm and a leg on heating your apartment, bundling up might be your best options. When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, you might want to use a warmer comforter or sleep with a few flannel blankets.
4. Make superficial repairs to your heating system. Sometimes replacing a filter or cleaning out a furnace won’t affect your deposit and it won’t cost too much money either. So, you don’t eve have to deal with your landlord. For instance, if you are in Philadelphia – where the temperatures dip way below freezing in the winter – your could call a Philadelphia HVAC service to make those adjustments. If could be that your solution was easy to fix to begin with. Getting an inspection never hurts.
5. Makes lots of dinners. The more active your kitchen is – with the stove and over on all the time – the warmer you house will be. If you are making cookies or baking a cake – why not leave the oven door open to let the heat out. Not only will you heat your home, but it will also smell delicious.