As an apartment renter, you may not be able to make big changes to increase your home's energy efficiency, but you can still make small changes that will reduce your energy bills and your impact on the environment.

Save on Heating and Cooling

• Your thermostat is your best tool for saving energy. If possible, set your thermostat at 68° F or lower in winter and 78° F or higher in summer.
• Block drafts from underneath outside doors with draft guards, inexpensive stuffed cloth tubes that you place against the bottom of your doors.
• Make sure your furniture and drapes don't block vents.
• In cold weather, open blinds or drapes during the day to let in solar warmth and then shut them at night to retain heat. In warm weather, close window coverings to keep the sun out.

Light for Less

• Switch to compact fluorescent bulbs. ENERGY STAR®-qualified compact fluorescent lights use about a quarter of the energy used by standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.
• If you don't like to come home to a dark apartment, use a timer to turn lights on and off automatically rather than leaving lights on all day.
  

Save Water and Water-Heating Costs

• Whenever possible, wash clothes with cold water using a detergent made especially for cold water.
• Tell your landlord about dripping faucets.
• Don't use hot water to rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Most dishwasher manufacturers recommend just scraping food off plates.
• Your water heater stores water and maintains a set temperature. The lowest and safest energy efficient setting for a water heater is 120° F.

Save in the Kitchen

• Generally speaking, the smaller the appliance, the less energy it uses. It takes less electricity to make toast in a toaster or heat food in a microwave than in the oven.
• Full refrigerators and freezers work more efficiently. Also, your mother was right: standing in front of an open refrigerator does waste energy.

While these may seem like small steps, they can add up to lower utility bills and increased comfort.