With so much energy consumption going on out there, Camden is committed to living green. Here are some easy ways to save energy in your apartment that you can start doing without changing your regular routine much! Plus, you might even save some money.

1. Mind That Thermostat It’s easy to forget to turn down the heat or turn up the AC when you leave your apartment, but doing so is one of the surest ways to save money. Most households shell out 50% - 70% of their energy budgets on heating and cooling, so why pay for what no one uses? We’ve got some smart products that will help you regulate the temp in your home.

2. Wash Your Laundry in Cold Water An easy way to clean green is to turn the dial on your washing machine to cold. Most loads don’t need hot water and 90% of the energy used by washing machines goes into heating. The higher the water temperature, the higher the cost to you and the planet.

1. Don’t Overcrowd the Fridge Overcrowding your refrigerator and freezer means they can’t circulate well. By over stocking you will create pockets of warm air that will make the fridge or freezer work harder and use more energy to cool everything more evenly. Avoid this by making sure to allow space between items so it cools efficiently.

2. Put on a Sweater Roughly speaking, a light long-sleeved sweater is worth about 2 degrees in added warmth, while a heavy sweater (even the ugliest of ugly sweaters) adds about 4 degrees. So, cozy up and start saving.

3. Dodge the Draft(s) According to the U.S. Department of Energy, drafts can waste 5% - 30% of your energy use. Just place a rolled up bath towel under a drafty door!

4. Regulate the Temperature of Your Refrigerator Don’t keep the temperature too low because the colder the setting, the more energy your fridge uses. For maximum energy efficiency and food safety, set it to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and the freezer to 0 degrees.

5. Run Fans in Reverse By switching your fans to run clockwise it makes warmer air pooled near the ceiling be circulated back into the living space – cutting your heating costs as much as 10%!

6. Recycle Your Old Electronics Do you have a drawer in your home filled with discarded cell phones and chargers? Here’s what you do: Recycle them for cash. You read that right. Sites like YouRenew.com and Gazelle.com will pay for your used phones and other electronics.

1. Turn Down the Water Heater While many conventional water heaters are set to 140 degrees by manufacturers, lowering the temperature to 120 degrees F (or lower) could reduce your water heating costs by 6% - 10%.

2. Turn Off Your Computer Save energy and wear and tear on your hardware by shutting down your computer while you’re out and at night. You could save an average of $90 of electricity a year. Plus, there are loads of products out there that will make your apartment a smart home and save you more energy.

3. Be Smart About Drying Laundry Try drying laundry in consecutive loads to take advantage of a heated dryer. Your laundry will dry faster and use less energy. There’s always the old-fashioned way too by hanging your clothing out to dry in your apartment or laying it on a drying rack.

4. Only Run the Dishwasher When It’s Full This is the most efficient way to use your dishwasher. Make sure you are loading your dishwasher properly to use all the space wisely. Using your dishwasher with a full load each time can prevent 100 pounds of carbon pollution and saves you $40 per year on your water bill. You can also save 15% on energy consumption by air drying your dishes instead of using the dry heat option.

5. Pay Bills Online We’re mostly doing this now, but you can really save natural resources – as well as late fees – by enrolling in online bill-paying options. Paperless billing not only saves trees, but it also eliminates the fossil fuel needed to get all those billing envelopes from them to you and back again. Plus, you’ll save money on stamps. MyCamden.com makes it easy for you to go paperless by paying rent and submitting maintenance requests all online!

6. Carpool it! If your drive to work is 25 miles each way and at least half is in typical stop-and-go traffic, you’ll save almost 10% of your monthly carbon emissions by carpooling. Not to mention the gas dollars you’ll save and the fun you’ll have sharing office gossip with your friends.

7. Stop Idling Every moment you spend idling your car’s engine means needlessly wasting gas, as well as rougher wear on your vehicle. Idling more than 10 seconds wastes more gas than is needed for startup.

What are you waiting for? Start using these easy ways to save energy in your apartment. The earth will thank you and so will your wallet. For more, check out these tips to avoid a high energy bill.