Reducing Energy Usage This Winter

The winter season brings with it longer nights, colder temperatures, and increased energy usage in the home. If you’re looking for ways to reduce energy consumption in your apartment this winter, there are a few simple changes you can make to enjoy the same level of comfort at lower financial and environmental cost.

Use Your Curtains Wisely

In the summer, the best practice is to keep your curtains or blinds closed during the day to prevent solar heating inside your apartment. During the winter, it’s best to reverse this practice and keep your blinds open during daylight hours to keep your apartment warmer. As soon as the sun goes down, close your curtains or blinds to provide added insulation and reduce the need for heating overnight.

Switch to Efficient Light Sources

Energy-efficient lighting means you’ll use less electricity to enjoy the same level of light inside your apartment. During the winter, you can use your artificial lights up to twice as long as during the summer months. Switching to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) will drastically cut your lighting bill because these options convert more electricity into light than traditional incandescent bulbs. When switching your bulbs, however, keep in mind that not all CFLs and LEDs can be used in regular fixtures. Check that any new bulbs you buy are compatible with your current lamps and fixtures, especially if they use dimmer switches.

Reverse Your Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans can run clockwise or counterclockwise to aid with heating and cooling. While you should run your fans in the counterclockwise direction during the summer to promote better cooling, reverse your fans in the winter for more efficient heating. Switching your fan to rotate in the clockwise direction and running it at a low speed will help to force warmer air toward the floor and into your living space, improving comfort inside your apartment. This will help lower your overall heating bills by circulating heated air more efficiently.

Focus on the Right Lighting

Because you use your lights for longer hours in the winter, using the right types of lighting can also cut your electric bill during this time of year. Whenever possible, use focused task lighting rather than ambient lighting, which will provide better illumination in dedicated work and living areas of your apartment. Make sure you have one dedicated reading lamp or work light to avoid eyestrain and reduce the need for ambient lighting elsewhere in the room when completing specific tasks. In areas where ambient lighting is important, focus on lamps that will illuminate the ceiling rather than the floor; this technique will reflect more light back into the room and make the best use of your lights.

At Alta Harvest Station, you’ll discover apartment features and amenities designed to provide you with the utmost in convenience, comfort, and eco-friendly living. Our Broomfield luxury apartment community includes community greenspace, a Zen garden, a dog park and wash area, and electric charging stations for green vehicles. You can find out more about renting a Broomfield apartment with us on the web!