12 Energy Management Tips from Apartment Management Experts

Apartment management companies like ours work hard every day to make life easier for Toronto tenants, owners, and board members. Our daily duties include financials, administrative work, maintenance tasks, conflict resolution, and building security, all of which are fundamental components of comfortable condo living.

Today, our apartment management company wants to take things one step further to help you save money on utilities. We’ve compiled some water and electricity-saving tips that you can start to use right away. Read on to learn some conversation tips apartment management companies use to save money in condo communities!

Lighting and Electrical Energy Conservation Techniques

The following lighting and electrical energy conservation technique should be a staple in any apartment management companies arsenal.

• Switch to low-wattage light bulbs or compact fluorescents (CFLs) around your apartment.
• Be diligent about switching lights off as you leave rooms, even when you’re only stepping away for a few minutes at a time. It all adds up!
• When possible, switch your laptop, monitor, or other gadgets to power saving mode. This will both prolong your battery life and shrink your bill.
• Use “task-specific lighting” where possible: rather than turning on a light to illuminate the entire room, use lamps to focus on what you’re reading or doing. This will drastically cut back your daily power usage.
• Keep your light fixtures clean! Apartment management companies will clean common area lighting, but it’s up to you to keep your private residence’s light fixtures dusted. You’d be amazed at how significantly dust and dirt can reduce the amount of light being emitted.
• Use natural lighting as often as you can. This will not only save you energy costs, but it’ll improve the look and liveliness of your living space.

Water Conservation Techniques

Heating water accounts for about 15% of the average utility bill, so tenants, owners, and board members would all be served by minding these water conservation tips!

• Repair leaky faucets to minimize wastage. Many apartment management companies include this kind of maintenance as part of their service packages.
• Install a low-flow toilet if it suits your budget and lifestyle. These toilets can save upwards of 12 litres of water per flush.
• Do not run the tap continuously while shaving your face, washing dishes, or brushing your teeth. Instead, use it in spurts as needed. It is believed that running the tap for 15-20 seconds prior to use helps clear out any calcium, heavy metals, or other contaminants that may have accumulated in your plumbing, but this does not mean that you should pour this water down the drain. Instead, use the first 15-20 seconds of flow to fill up kettles, watering cans, and the like.
• When compared to a bath, a shower can save you more than 16 litres of water per wash. Additionally, try to shorten your showers to conserve hot water.
• Thaw frozen meals ahead of time, rather than running them under hot water for prolonged periods.
• Keep your faucet level resting in the “cold” position, as the hot position will use energy to heat the water even without you drawing it through the faucet.

If you have more questions about maintenance, energy conservation, or energy-efficient appliance installations, please contact our apartment management team at http://www.marekapm.com/condo-property-management/.