Benefit from Tenant Changeovers: A Checklist for Energy Savings
When tenants move, rental property owners often take advantage of the availability of empty apartments to make repairs. This is also a great time for improvements that increase the energy efficiency of units. Efficient apartments can attract and keep tenants who want comfortable homes with lower energy bills. They can also reduce complaints and enable you to receive a greater share of tenant housing costs.
Efficiency Vermont has created a checklist of actions that property owners can take at tenant-changeover times to reduce energy use. Visit the Rental Property Rebates page for information about rebates and free products available to rental property owners.
- Upgrade to energy-efficient lightbulbs. Available at no charge to rental property owners from Efficiency Vermont. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) use as much as 75% less energy. CFLs also last up to 10 times as long, so you’ll reduce replacement and maintenance costs.
- Install low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators. Available at no charge to rental property owners from Efficiency Vermont. These products reduce costs for water and water heating.
- Replace old appliances. A refrigerator manufactured before 1993 can use twice the electricity of a new ENERGY STAR® qualified refrigerator. Replace broken or aging appliances (dishwashers, refrigerators, window air conditioners, clothes washers, water heaters) with energy-saving ENERGY STAR qualified models. Enhanced rebates are available just for Rental Property Owners to replace refrigerators. See the rebate form here.
- Upgrade bath fans and operating controls. ENERGY STAR qualified ventilation fans are quiet and use very little electricity. Good ventilation reduces moisture and its associated problems, like window condensation, wood rot, and stained paint, as well as mold and mildew that lower the quality of indoor air. For the most energy savings, install programmable fan controls. Enhanced rebates are available just for rental property owners to install improved ventilation systems.
- Install a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat is easy for tenants to operate, so they can stay comfortable while lowering energy bills. That can mean fewer tenant complaints. The advantage of a programmable model is that tenants don’t need to remember to turn the temperature down while they’re asleep or away from the apartment for the day. For every 10 degrees that the heat is lowered, annual heating costs are reduced by as much as 15%.
- Prevent drafts. When apartments are drafty, tenants are more likely to use portable electric space heaters. This can drive up energy costs and present a fire hazard. To reduce drafts, address these areas:
- Improve windows. Repair any cracked glazing, run a bead of caulk around frames, and use side-mount sash locks to hold windows firmly in place. Block drafts through sash-weight pulley openings by using pulley seals.
- Weatherproof exterior doors. Caulk around door frames and use weather stripping.
- Fill gaps. Use expandable spray foam (from a can) to fill gaps around pipes and wiring.
- Air-seal & insulate the attic. Living spaces exchange air with the attic unless gaps in the attic floor are air-sealed and insulation is sufficient and properly installed. A professional insulation contractor can do this work for you. A well-sealed and insulated attic can also prevent ice dams, which form when heated indoor air escapes to the attic, warms the roof, and melts snow, which flows to the eaves and freezes.
- Fix fireplace flues. See that flues close completely. With open flues, chimneys pull outdoor air into living spaces through gaps in the building exterior. This creates drafts and raises heating costs.