How to lower an apartment electric bill as a renter

As a renter, you control your thermostat settings, your habits and everything you plug in, but usually not the building, the air conditioner or the water heater. So start with heating and cooling settings and your biggest plug-in loads, measure before you buy anything, and take equipment problems to your landlord in writing. Your lease decides who is responsible for what.

1. Know what your bill is measuring

Find this period's electric charges, the kWh used and the number of days on your bill. Divide kWh by days to get kWh per day, and compare that across months rather than comparing dollar totals. National and state averages are a weak yardstick for an apartment: they include houses, and ENERGY STAR notes that its own bill-comparison tool may not give a valid comparison for apartments. Your best benchmark is your own past bills. The free bill check works out your price per kWh and daily use in a few minutes.

2. Heating and cooling settings, if you control them

The U.S. Department of Energy says you can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by turning the thermostat back 7–10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting, for example while you're at work or asleep. If your apartment has a heat pump, DOE advises doing this only with a thermostat designed for heat pumps; ask your landlord which type you have before changing the schedule on equipment you don't own.

3. Put a number on plug-in heaters

A plug-in space heater draws a lot of power while it runs, and the cost is easy to calculate from the wattage on its label and the hours you use it.

Run your own numbers with the space heater calculator. Safety comes first: the U.S. Fire Administration advises plugging space heaters directly into a wall outlet, never an extension cord or power strip, keeping them at least 3 feet from anything that can burn, setting them on a flat, level surface, and checking cords for damage.

4. Measure always-on devices

Equipment that runs all day adds up even at low wattage. A device drawing 50 watts around the clock uses 50 W × 24 h = 1.2 kWh a day, or 36 kWh over 30 days: $5.40 a month at 15¢ per kWh. Labels show maximum draw, not average use, so a plug-in power meter gives a better number for things like a second fridge, a gaming PC or a dehumidifier. Enter what you measure into the appliance cost calculator.

5. What to raise with your landlord

Some problems cost you money every month but are the owner's equipment. Report them in writing and keep a copy:

• Air conditioning or heat that runs almost constantly or can't keep the apartment comfortable.
• A thermostat that doesn't work or doesn't hold its settings.
• Drafts around doors and windows, or damaged weatherstripping.
• A water heater that leaks or can't supply enough hot water.

Don't open electrical panels, rewire anything or work on the HVAC system yourself. Those are jobs for the landlord's qualified technician.

6. Free utility tools you can use as the account holder

• FPL customers: FPL's free Energy Manager shows when, where and how your home uses energy, and its free online Energy Survey gives personalized tips. FPL's Budget Billing spreads costs into a rolling 12-month average; FPL notes it does not reduce your total energy costs, but it can make high-bill months easier to plan for. See FPL bill resources.
• JEA customers: JEA offers a free efficiency assessment: a representative reviews your usage and then does an in-home walk-through of energy and water use (no diagnostic equipment). JEA's page doesn't say who qualifies, so call JEA at 665-6000 to ask, and check with your landlord about access. See JEA bill resources.

Questions to ask before you sign a lease

• Which utilities will be in your name, and is anything included in the rent?
• Can the landlord or the current tenant show you recent electric bills or average monthly kWh?
• How is the apartment heated and cooled: a heat pump, electric resistance heat, or gas? Is the water heater electric?
• Who controls the thermostat, and who changes the air filters?
• Who maintains the air conditioner, and how are repair requests handled?
• Is the unit on its own electric meter?
• If the building has shared equipment, such as laundry machines or outdoor lighting, is any of it on your meter?

Rebates and programs when you don't own the equipment

Many equipment programs involve a contractor and new equipment, which in a rental is normally the owner's call. JEA's heating and cooling rebate requires installation by a JEA pre-qualified contractor, and FPL's A/C rebate requires a new indoor and outdoor system installed by an FPL participating independent contractor. If your landlord is replacing equipment anyway, those programs are worth pointing out, and JEA's $50 smart thermostat rebate is another one to raise if the thermostat belongs to the owner.

Some JEA neighborhoods qualify for more. JEA's Neighborhood Energy Efficiency program serves census tracts where at least half of residents are at or below 150% of federal poverty guidelines; crews install items such as LED night lights, low-flow showerheads, aerators, toilet flappers, A/C filters, weatherstripping and caulk. Check JEA's page to see whether your area is included, and confirm every program's current terms with the utility.

Where to start

1. Run the bill check and choose "I rent". Your plan will include renter-specific steps, such as what to raise with your landlord.
2. Change thermostat settings you control, and price your biggest plug-in loads.
3. If a bill jumps without a change in habits, put it next to the previous one in the bill comparison before assuming it's your usage.