Maintenance Minute: 3 Ways to Save on Utilities

Learn how “going green” is both environmentally and financially friendly

A growing number of US renters are looking to live in apartments that are making a difference in the world by going green. Showing that you’re part of a “green initiative” can be a great selling point. It can also help you save a lot of money on utilities. Here we will briefly discuss 3 ways you can go green — for the environment, for your renters and for your bottom line.

Water Conservation

Many communities focus a good deal of attention on helping residents to proactively conserve water. Taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet while brushing teeth or shaving, or scrubbing your hands with soap before turning on the faucet are just a few ways we all know of to cut down on water usage. Property managers can be creative in the ways they communicate these ideas to their residents. There are various approaches, however, with which apartment complexes can directly affect water usage in their properties.

One of the most effective ways to reduce water usage is to install low flow fixtures on shower heads and sink faucets. This process alone can save dozens of gallons of water a day in each unit. Also consider installing low flow toilets and toilets with dual flush systems.

Energy Conservation

One of the simplest ways you can save on electricity throughout the property is by installing LED lightbulbs everywhere possible. Make sure to look for lights which have the ENERGY STAR rating on the box to get maximum savings.

Up to 50% of your utilities bill can come directly from heating and cooling, so you can save a great deal of money by installing programmable thermostats that can also be controlled from a smartphone. The Nest Thermostat is is an ENERGY STAR certified option that provides the following features:

  • Saves 10-12% on heating bills and 15% on cooling bills

  • Control it from your phone

  • It learns your patterns and can program itself

  • Receive a $75.00 rebate from APS by purchasing before the end of 2017

  • Receive an additional $75.00 rebate from SRP by joining Nest’s Rush Hour Rewards

LEED Certification

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the worlds largest green building  rating system. They rate buildings for their efficiency based on factors such as water efficiency, energy and atmosphere efficiency and indoor environmental quality. The United States Green Building Council, the creator of LEED, claims that becoming LEED certified can increase building value and the rent you can charge while decreasing utility costs. The USGBC reports that vacancy rates are 4% lower in LEED certified properties and the lease-end rates range from average to 20% above average. Learn more about the process to become LEED certified here!

 

Applying simple changes like the ones mentioned in this article will benefit your community, your renters and the environment!

 


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Taylor Fish
Taylor is a staff writer for Multihousing Friends and a student at Brigham Young University.