Check Your Apartment Heating
Do you find yourself frequently opening the windows because the apartment is too hot? Maybe the landlord has set the thermostat too high. If he follows the suggestions in the chapter on home heating — including lowering the thermostat — he'll make the building more comfortable, save fuel, and hopefully pass the saving on to you.• Individual thermostat If you have your own thermostat, try setting it for 68 °F (20°C) during the day and five degrees lower at night. If the apartment is empty all day, leave the thermostat at the night setting and turn it up when you come in from work.
• Central thermostat. In many older, smaller buildings, there is only one central thermostat. If your apartment is often too hot, try closing off some of your heat outlets. How does this save energy? The heating unit will send more heat to the open outlets. These areas will warm up more quickly, so less use will be made of the heating unit.
• Humidity. If your heating is by forced warm air, ask the landlord if there's a humidifier on the furnace. If not (or if the building is heated by hot water, steam or electric heat) think about buying a small humidifier for your apartment. It will help you feel more comfortable, at a lower temperature setting.
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November 20, 2008