Now that the coldest months of the year in Boston are upon use, here are my Top 10 Ways to stay warm AND save energy (and money) in your Boston apartment:
1. Adjust the thermostat
3 degrees lower in the winter reduces your energy demand almost 10%. Keep thermostat below 68 when you are at home, and lower when going to bed or leaving for the day. Don’t waste heat when you’re not home!
2. Use window shades and curtains
Keep heavy material curtain on your windows. Closing curtains and shades during the night saves money on escaped heat by preventing drafts.
3. Buy Energy Star Appliances and Lights
These will save you money all year long by using less power.
4. Check for window leaks
You can save 10% or more on your bill by reducing air leaks. 3M makes a window film that reflects interior room heat back into the room and save money on heating costs. Sashes can also shrink and become misshapen allowing air to get in – insulating foam tape around where the window opens and closes will help.
5. Use Ventilation fans wisely
Kitchen and bath vent fans can pull out a house full of warm air in an hour! Use sparingly.
6. Have your Heating System Serviced Once a Year
Regularly replacing furnace filters and have them professionally serviced each year can save up to 5% on heating costs.
7. Insulate Electrical Outlets
Most hardware stores sell foam pads (very cheap!) that fit over the outlet but under the cover plate to prevent airflow
8. Use Nature to your advantage, the sun is free heat!
Keep southern facing window curtains open and the windows clean during the day to use the sun to heat up your apartment.
9. National Grid 3% less initiative
Challenge yourself to use 3% less and tract your success with National Grid on their website: www.nationalgridus.com. You can also do a free energy evaluation on their site.
10. Fireplaces and clothes dryers
These are some of the worst “holes” in your place during the winter. Fireplaces with an open damper can raise energy consumption by 30 percent! Hot air rises, and goes right out the chimney, costing in some cases more than $500 in a season. Try a fireplace draft stopper – low cost inflatable pillow to help with the energy loss. Dryers that are connected to an exhaust duct that is open to the outdoors can be the coldest area in a house. The duct is not known for being very efficient – often staying open and allowing cold air in all day long. A dryer vent seal is a low cost solution to keep out the cold.
There are lots of great websites out there for move earth and money saving tips, I like www.Earth911.com for region specific energy saving ideas and www.cityofboston.gov for the mayor’s energy saving info!
And if you’re in the market for a new apartment (perhaps a more energy efficient one?)… give our entire database a quick search on our new Google Maps powered Boston Apartments Search!
I don’t know if we’ll have a white Christmas or not this year but one thing’s for certain. The snow’s coming…. and probably soon. I don’t know why we always act surprised when it snows in Boston – it is as inevitable as death and taxes!
There are a few things you can watch out for and do to make it a little bit easier during snowstorms. Below are some great ideas from the city to ease your pain (lower back from shoveling, of course).
Emergency Notifications: On the City of Boston website you can register for email alerts or text alerts to get direct notifications of snow emergencies, parking bans, and school closings. I love this one, because you can also get reminders of street cleaning days texted to you. This saved me from a lot of tickets and tows this year!
Storm Safety Tips
- Be a good neighbor – check in with your elderly neighbors and other residents during a storm
- Shovel out fire hydrants, catch basins, ramps and corners on your street
- Shovel sidewalks around your home – this doesn’t mean throw it on your neighbor’s yard!
- Avoid driving during severe weather but if you must be out take extra precaution near school bus stops where children may be waiting without parental supervision and treat non-working traffic lights as stop signs and proceed cautiously at intersections.
Space Savers (aka – if you live in Southie, you need to know): They will be collected 48 hours after a snow emergency has been lifted on all of those saved parking spaces!
- (credit: Save My Spot in Southie)
Trash and Recycling Collection: Trash service is canceled in the event of a declared snow emergency – pick ups are scheduled for the following day instead. And those guys work hard enough, so maybe try to do them a favor by shoveling a path to the trash location.
Shoveling: Speaking of shoveling, did you know you could be fined if you don’t shovel out the sidewalk in front of your apartment? Yup that’s right…fines from $50 to $150 (each day!) for not shoveling. If you’re a tenant, you should touch base with your landlord who’s responsible for snow removal
Parking Regulations: You thought the meter maids were tough on regular days…ha! Boston doesn’t mess around with snow emergencies! Of course, I suppose that’s why we can tough it out and the city doesn’t shut down over an inch of snow like, say, Washington! Parking regulations are strictly enforced during snow emergencies – you will get towed and ticketed ($45 to $250) if you try and get around them! Make sure to avoid parking on streets with signs declaring “Emergency Snow Artery” or “Tow Zone- Snow Emergency” and don’t park within 20 feet of an intersection, or further than one foot from the curb.
You can also see most of this information on the City of Boston snow page or download a convenient printable pdf document.
Follow the rules and keep these tips in mind and you’re much more likely to enjoy the snow than dread it!
Sarah can be reached at 857-383-3123 or sherbert@charlesgaterealty.com. See more about Sarah and check out what her customers have said about her.
1. Have useful personal info and phone numbers readily available:
- Current landlord contact info for reference
- Current pay stub
- Bank account info
- Previous employment history
- Pet reference (if you have a pet)
2. Have move in funds available/accessible:
Boston is an expensive city, whatever your budget is, typically you will need 2 to 3 month’s rent to secure an apartment. Between 1st month’s rent, last month’s rent, and security deposit – some or all of which may be required depending on the apartment – you should be prepared with accessible funds.
3. Think about what is MOST important to you:
Apartments are never perfect, but hopefully you will find something that is ALMOST! 
The key is to decide what you can compromise on and what you can’t. Check out our renter need analysis for a good place to start.
4. Decide on Location:
Boston has many great neighborhoods, all that offer different amenities and feels. Check out websites, talk to locals, visit bars/restaurants in the area, and check out the area in daytime and night to decide what will be the best fit for you.
5. Know your credit score:
This is a very valuable negotiating tool…let your agent know about your perfect credit or if there are some “indiscretions” (from your youth, of course!). It will help them in working to get you a good deal, and making you look like the ideal tenant!
Sarah can be reached at 857.383.3123 or sherbert@chalesgaterealty.com
Don’t miss our Best Value Boston Apartment picks this week
It’s that time of year again, Toys for Tots drive at our office, 867 Boylston Street, 3rd floor.
Please drop by with your new, un-wrapped toys for the Boston Toys for Tots program.
CRG has generously offered to MATCH EVERY TOY DONATION! Make your one toy two! Everyone could use that kind of deal!
“As the holiday season approaches, the Marines of Greater Boston area are busy working with our sponsors to make sure that the wishes of needy children come true.
The Toys for Tots program has traditionally been one of the most nationally recognized non- profit programs in the United States. From its inception in 1947, the program has continuously provided a means for needy children.
OBJECTIVE: The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, non-violent, unwrapped, toys each year and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the Greater Boston community.”
To find out more check out their website: Boston Toys for Tots
Donation boxes will be in our office for the month of December.
Our office hours are M-F: 9am-6pm
If you have any questions regarding this please feel free to give us a ring at 617.587.0100
Have a great Thanksgiving!
My bill is WHAT??
You’ve finally moved into your new Boston apartment. Everything is unpacked, you just threw away that last cardboard box. You don’t have that uneasy feeling of just moving in and not knowing where everything is. The place finally feels like yours. But then the day comes. You unlock your mailbox, and the envelopes dump onto the floor. You rip open your utility bills to see the damage…and all of a sudden you’re not feeling so hot….
Needless to say it is hard to know exactly what your electric or heating bills are going to be before you move into your apartment, but I am here to let you know there is a way to get a rough estimate! Don’t be surprised!
Anytime I have a customer renting an apartment in Boston when the heat is not included, I always call the utility company for them to get an estimate of the bills. The company can give you the high, low, and average bill for the last 12 months of a particular apartment. This is a great tool to get an idea of what you will be spending (and compare apples to apples between apartments with utilities included and those without)…but do keep in mind everyone’s use is different. The previous tenant might have loved to keep it cranked to 80 everyday, or, maybe nobody lived there for a few months, which could also affect the averages. Same goes for the electricity. One tenant could have been afraid of the dark, and slept with all the lights on, and another was never, ever home.
But the bottom line is that it’s super easy to find out for yourself, all you need is the apartment address to provide to the phone operator.
For your homework – here are the phone numbers of possible electric and gas companies that would be used in the Boston area:
NSTAR ELECTRIC
NSTAR is the largest Massachusetts-based, investor-owned electric and gas utility.
Tel: 800.592.2000
Email: customer.service@nstar.com
Web: www.nstaronline.com
NATIONAL GRID (gas co)
Serving a total of 1.2 million customers in 168 Massachusetts communities and are an electricity distribution subsidiary of National Grid.
Tel: 617.469.2300
Web: www.nationalgridus.com/index.jsp
It’s just that quick and easy…..now do your homework!
Sarah can be reached at 857-383-3123, or by email at sherbert@charlesgaterealty.com
Give our entire Boston apartment database a quick search on our new Google Maps powered Boston Apartments search!
