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Dear Dot,
I’m a renter, so I have little control over carbon emissions from my living situation. But are there things I can do?
–Libby
Dear Libby,
While I don’t know your specific rental situation, it is true that many renters live in high-density housing in mixed-use neighborhoods. If that’s the case, you likely already have a lower carbon footprint than a lot of folks — including Dot — who live in single-family homes in suburbs with lousy transit (or transit we simply don’t use in favor of our cars). I, a supplementary Dot filling in for OG Dot to answer your question, am a renter myself and share your curiosity and desire to cut my carbon homeprint. And here’s what I found: Luckily for you, me, and the other 44 million rental households in the U.S., there are plenty of things we can do, even if our landlords aren't particularly keen on green upgrades.
How we heat and cool our homes is the biggest energy drain, and that holds true also for rentals, so let’s start there. You have likely heard some buzz about heat pumps, which double as a heating and cooling system and replace carbon-intensive systems. Those of us in rentals can climb aboard the heat pump craze with micro heat pumps — easy-to-install portable systems that plug into 120V outlets and cost between $500 and $700. While a typical heat pump requires about 240V and may put too much strain on older wiring systems, a micro heat pump should be just fine to heat a small studio apartment. If your rental is a larger apartment or home, you may need to purchase more than one. But remember: These are portable. When you go, you can take them with you.
But where you live also plays a role in how effective micro heat pumps are. Most only work in a climate with a low of 40˚F. If your region experiences temperatures below that, you can still use a micro heat pump to reduce the amount of fossil-fuel heating you use, but it will be supplemental, rather than completely doing the job. (For your convenience, look for a micro heat pump with a condensate pump that can easily dispel the water that collects inside the machine, otherwise you may need to manually drain it.)
Electrify Now, an organization that provides information (and webinars!) on electrifying your home, has tested and recommends four portable heat pump models from Whynter, Frigidaire, LG, and Midea.
And, while the balcony solar trend hasn’t yet hit North America, it’s all the rage in Germany, where panels along apartment balconies help produce clean power.
So that’s the big picture on heating and cooling. Renters can save energy in loads of other ways too — just like your home-owning compatriots. Some simple steps? Light up your rental with LED light bulbs, and switch them off when you don’t need them. Wait to start the washing machine until you have a full load. Use a clothes line or drying rack instead of a power-hungry dryer. Since I don’t have a garden or yard where I can install a clothesline, I use an indoor drying rack that folds up nicely for efficient storage when I’m not using it.
Your landlord might not be convinced to replace the gas stove with an electric one (though, by all means, ask! The Inflation Reduction Act is offering rebates to do exactly that). But no matter! Purchase a portable electric burner that you just plug in to use, then store it in a cupboard. Countertop convection ovens and air fryers are also energy sippers rather than gulpers. As a rule, smaller appliances are more efficient than large ones, so use them when possible.
And of course, one of the most impactful carbon choices we make has nothing to do with home ownership — and that’s what we put on our plates. Researchers at the University of Oxford reported in the journal Science that cutting meat and dairy products from our diet could reduce our carbon footprint from food by up to 73%. Even if you’re not ready to go vegan (Dot is inching there but has a ways to go), simply reducing your consumption of meat and dairy makes a positive difference.
Nomadically,
Dot
