Energy efficiency and cost savings are often top of mind for property managers, especially in summer when high temperatures drive tenants to more frequently adjust thermostats in order to stay cool and comfortable in their suites.
Building-wide thermostat fluctuations can significantly impact your property’s energy efficiency. If you want to improve energy use during summer months, tenants can always play a bigger role in reducing their individual energy use.
Keep in mind, it does require an ongoing commitment from property managers (long after summer has come and gone) to foster a building-wide culture that encourages environmental participation. But for now, motivating tenants to actively manage their summer energy footprint, starts with sharing information.
Offering some beginner heating and cooling strategies to beat the heat and humidity can be the key to igniting suite-level sustainable responsibility. Some tips could include:
- Set your thermostat between 24°C and 26°C before bed and 28°C when you’re away
- Set your thermostat as high as possible in the summer. As a rule of thumb, the smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be
- Set ceiling fan blades to spin counterclockwise. This draws warm air upward and circulates cool air
- Try using an outdoor clothesline to dry your laundry to save dryer use
- Keep curtains closed to limit the amount of sunlight in your home to reduce exposure to heat
- When showering, use the bathroom fan to remove heat/humidity from your home
More specifically, providing tenants with a reading of their summer energy consumption, in comparison to other floors can fuel more sustainable participation and a healthy incentive to want to do better for the entire building. Cultivating sustainable communities takes time. And doing it creatively takes some extra heavy lifting for management. But starting small with factual information can inspire and persuade residents that it’s all our responsibility to work smarter for our environment, in summer, and every other season.
