http://www.bestgreenhometips.com/2009/03/green-apartment-life-tools-for-living-green-while-renting/ Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:30:50 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 http://www.bestgreenhometips.com/2009/03/green-apartment-life-tools-for-living-green-while-renting/comment-page-1/#comment-666 Michelle Tue, 24 Mar 2009 22:10:13 +0000 http://www.bestgreenhometips.com/?p=868#comment-666 I own and live in a 4-plex in Anchorage, Alaska that I am greening into an eco-plex (ecolandlord.wordpress.com). Currently my family of 3 is living in one of the 374 sf efficiencies! I have an indoor worm bin for kitchen compost. I installed ultra low flow faucets (1gpm kitchen, .5gpm lavatory) and shower head (1.5gpm). I paint with 'used' paint from the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. I keep the heat down, the windows closed in winter, and take 5-minute showers using a shower timer (a little hour-glass that sticks to the shower wall and lets me know time is up. I never thought it would work for me - I love long hot baths and showers, but I've been consistently taking shorter showers now). The windows are old and leaky, and I don't yet have the replacement money, so I covered most with the plastic kits meant for this purpose for the winter. I replaced all my lights with CFLs, and put a 2watt LED bulb in the fridge light spot. I used a kilowatt meter to check my electricity use, and found out the original fridge is pretty efficient (in the last place I rented before I bought, I actually replaced the fridge on my own dime to save my electricity costs) All these things could be done by most renters. Of course, I am also greening the building as a whole as well for all the renters. I own and live in a 4-plex in Anchorage, Alaska that I am greening into an eco-plex (ecolandlord.wordpress.com). Currently my family of 3 is living in one of the 374 sf efficiencies! I have an indoor worm bin for kitchen compost. I installed ultra low flow faucets (1gpm kitchen, .5gpm lavatory) and shower head (1.5gpm). I paint with ‘used’ paint from the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. I keep the heat down, the windows closed in winter, and take 5-minute showers using a shower timer (a little hour-glass that sticks to the shower wall and lets me know time is up. I never thought it would work for me – I love long hot baths and showers, but I’ve been consistently taking shorter showers now). The windows are old and leaky, and I don’t yet have the replacement money, so I covered most with the plastic kits meant for this purpose for the winter. I replaced all my lights with CFLs, and put a 2watt LED bulb in the fridge light spot. I used a kilowatt meter to check my electricity use, and found out the original fridge is pretty efficient (in the last place I rented before I bought, I actually replaced the fridge on my own dime to save my electricity costs) All these things could be done by most renters. Of course, I am also greening the building as a whole as well for all the renters.

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