Hi, I’m a college student on a budget trying to save money on my electric bill. Last month, I turned the AC completely off since it was getting chilly outside, and my apartment got down to about 68 degrees. It wasn’t too bad because I like the cold, and it really cut my bill in half! But now it’s really cold, like 56 degrees inside, and I want to turn on the heater haha. Any tips on how to save money while keeping the heater on? I can turn it off at night since I have lots of blankets and like the cold for sleeping, but during the day it’s tougher.
Get a space heater or a heated blanket! It’s much cheaper to heat just the space you’re in than the whole apartment.
If you control the temp, keep it set to something comfortable, then lower it by 5-7° when you’re not home. Turning off the AC completely makes it work harder to heat up later.
I keep lights, TVs, and chargers on a power strip and turn them off when not in use. I even unplug the microwave when it’s not in use. My electric bill was like $30 when I lived in an apartment!
I use a space heater in my bedroom and wear thermal and wool clothing to stay warm!
Consider getting window insulation kits. You can use plastic sheets and a hair dryer to seal your windows better and keep the heat in.
I started lowering the thermostat a few degrees and layering up with cozy socks and hoodies. I even kept the heater off at night. Insulating the apartment with weatherstrips and a door draft stopper really helped too! Tracking my electricity costs weekly helped me see patterns and save a bit by using space heaters only when needed.