I couldn't locate a wiki entry or anything so I thought I'd post and hope you all could offer advice or point me in the right direction.
I'm getting ready to sign a lease on my first apartment (in my name) in the coming week. I'm a block away from Lake Erie and luckily have southern facing windows in my two bedrooms. The apartment is 606 sqft. I am responsible for Electric and Internet. The building is old and has no central AC. The owners purchased it last year and the building was ripped out down to the studs. All hardwood floors, an electric stove, and full size fridge (with the freezer on top). I'm assuming that, since it's 2018, these appliances are far more energy efficient from the baseline than they were 10 years ago.
My biggest concern is how to keep my electricity low. A couple coworkers were greeted with $400+ electric bills in January and I don't want to have that. I come from a lifestyle of "layer up in the winter" because 67 degrees is fine year round. Socks, slippers, hoodies. I can certainly replace the drapes on my windows in the winter or install the window film, but I was concerned about my thermostat. Should I request to replace it with a smart one right off the bat? (I'm getting an Alexa). Is getting a space heater a better choice than utilizing my building's heat? On that point, I'm getting a toaster oven to use instead of my kitchen oven. I plan on really only using my stove for meal prep once a week.
Thanks in advance!
April 18, 2018 at 10:23AM
