Adding Insulation to Your Home as a Renter

Adding insulation to your home is a simple way to reduce both your heating and cooling costs.  In its 2017 Energy Saver Guide Tips on Saving Money and Energy in Your Home, the US Department of Energy explains, “The greater the difference between the indoor and the outdoor temperatures, the more energy it will take to maintain a comfortable temperature in your home.” Basically, insulation helps to reduce that difference in temperature between the inside and outside of your home.  It is recommended to insulate areas such as exterior walls, attics, and basements.  For a full map of the best places to insulate, click here.

Adding insulation is not too difficult, but if you live in a rental home or apartment it may be hard to access those spaces, or receive permission from your landlord to do so.  So, how can you harness the power of insulation to save money on your utility bills if you can’t actually add any?

Even if you can’t install official insulation, there are other ways to reduce the difference in temperature between the outside and inside, and this chilly winter, you definitely want some help keeping the warm air in and the cold air out.

As we mentioned above, the best places to add an extra layer are exterior walls, attics, and basements.  Depending upon your home or apartment, this may look like exterior walls and floors.  Try adding…

Tapestries– Your home doesn’t need to look like an art museum or medieval castle, but even hanging a pretty quilt on an exterior wall can help with that temperature difference.

Heavy Drapes- Windows can be huge energy losers and heavy drapes can help.  However, during the winter, on sunny days, let the sun shine in to help warm up your home as well.

Bookcases-Are you looking for a place to store all of your books?  Place a bookcase on an exterior wall and you will receive extra storage and insulation.

Thick rugs– Not only do these feel nice on your feet, but they help to prevent chilly air sneaking up from the ground, basement, or lower level apartments.

For more information about saving money and energy this winter, contact FLAME!