<![CDATA[Most people think that in order to live green,one must own their own house.That is not the case.Apartment owners do have their share in green living.Though the landlord handles most of the utilities,that does not mean that one cannot use some tips ,have his share of living green and save some little money. Living green means changing style and not your structure which can have a positive impact on the environment. Consider the following tips:
Closely observe your waste: Separate both biodegradable materials and the non-biodegradable materials and place them in different trash cans. Change from having a bunch of mails to working online and making things paperless.
Minimize your energy consumption: Whether one pays for the utilities separately or together,one can still minimize the energy consumption. Consider turning the thermostat low and dressing warmer during winter.
Change out your light bulbs: Take out the old incandescent bulbs and replace them with the fluorescent bulbs. They consume less energy and work much longer as compared to bulbs.
Utilize public transportation or carpool: For those people living in urban areas with public transit available,they should consider taking it. It will help save a few shillings and at the same time avoid emissions from the car to the atmosphere. One can also consider a carpool with the neighbors.
Washer and Dryer usage: If you have your own units in your apartment, try to plan a schedule with your roommate so the machines aren’t being used every day. When washing clothes use cold water as much as possible and ask your apartment landlord to install high efficiency washer machines. Use cooler dry settings in dryers, and don’t dry clothes on the longest setting.
Conserve water in the bathroom and kitchen: Ensure that you have a plan with the roommate on when they will be doing dishes and taking showers. Each should use as less time as possible.
Energy : unplug the “secret energy addicts” in your home. Most electronic equipment, including anything that uses a remote control, is designed to consume energy when it is turned to the standby position. The energy consumed in kilowatts by such appliances per year is said to have the ability to support such appliances for two months. One should unplug anything that consumes power.
Summary
Having considered the above points, green living in apartments can be made easier with the help of these useful tips. Before renting an apartment, ask what green practices the complex practices. This should give you an image or impression of what exactly happens. If your complex does not offer such services, give them a proposal of using them stressing on the long term advantages.]]>