Updated with current information for 2022
Early fall semester in Athens can be a scorcher! It’s tempting to just put that AC on high and kick back on the couch to cool your rental. But careful opening that electric bill. It could be a scorcher, too. Here are five hacks you can try to cool your student rental, lower your energy bill and not tick off your landlord in the process.
Install Blinds
Window shades do more than just shield the neighbors from the amazing site of your underwear at breakfast. They cool off the house, which in turns makes the air conditioner’s job easier. Shade your house and live comfortably without a huge electric bill at the end of the month.
Caulk Leaky Windows and Doors
Ohio University housing is notorious for being drafty, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do something about it. Caulk is cheap, and it makes your energy bills cheaper. Apply some to drafty window panels and doors, and you’ll save money both in the hot weather and in the winter.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
This is one apartment improvement that will pay you back 10-fold. These days, you can buy a programmable thermostat for less than $35 and install it in minutes. Control the temps of your uptown Athens rental from your phone. If you’re gone all day, why waste the AC? Kick it into gear remotely from a smartphone and have a chilled living room when you get home.
Fans – get a ton
Scared to touch your thermostat? That’s okay, fans make for an optimal cooling method, too.
Using only 1% of the power that an A/C does, fans cool your body just as effectively if there are enough of them placed properly. Run to Walmart or any department store on East State and grab some ASAP.
Leave your apartment for the day
If you’re living in an OU student rental, you’re most likely an OU student. That means you have access to buildings all over campus…air-conditioned buildings.
If your rental is close to campus, walk on over to Alden or Baker Center and find a comfy spot inside to beat the heat. If you have access to off-campus parking and want to interact with as few people as possible, you can alternatively hop in your car and drive to a more remote academic building farther from the center of campus. Living in a rental uptown doesn’t mean you have to be tied to the commotion that comes with it.