If you are looking to move into an apartment complex, you already have a big advantage on keeping your utilities low. Apartments in Tallahassee, such as FAMU apartments, are structured to provide stable power and water. Living in a house gives you a large risk of bad wiring and plumbing, which can end up skyrocketing your bill in random months. An apartment complex saves you from all that, leaving the only risk of a high utility bill happening on you.
It's easy to look at utilities and just say “don't be wasteful”, but such a general statement doesn't provide the proper mentality. Most of us are trained to be wasteful in utilities, because a lot of us never had to look at the bill our parent's paid. Even those of us that are extremely financially conscious can become forgetful, so here are some ways you can try to keep down your utility bill in FAMU apartments.
Let's start with electricity, which is probably the most prevalent utility we waste. First off, turn off all the lights in rooms are not in, and are not going to enter in the next 30 minutes. If you know you are going back in a room, it is more efficient to leave the lights on. Also, you may want to look at FAMU apartments that use fluorescent lighting, as the bulbs last longer and use far less electricity.
Speaking of lighting, windows are the perfect gateway to the sun. Open the blinds during the day and let that fiery ball in the sky light up your apartment for you. You can also use windows to save on air conditioning. Open up the windows on a cool day and get a natural breeze going throughout your unit.
Power strips are also extremely useful in helping you save money on electricity. FAMU apartments won't provide them, so you are going to have to go get some yourself. At the least you should have one at your computer, and one at the media center in the living area. If neither are going to be used any time soon, so can simply turn off the power strip. This ensures that no electricity is be unnecessarily sent through.
Now let's talk about water, which can also take a heavy toll on the utility bill. Make sure that you take short showers; a good time limit generally is ten minutes at the most. Don't leave the water from the sink running needless either. Turn it off when you are brushing your teeth or if you need to step away for a moment. Unlike a light bulb, it is not more efficient to leave the sink running even if you are only stepping away for fifteen seconds.
In addition, you should make sure that you any large water appliances are not used recklessly. Mainly I am talking about dishwashers and washing machines. Only use these machines when they are full, as they use the same amount of water regardless of their load. If you need to wash something badly, see if any of your roommates has clothes that you can wash it with. Overall if you make a conscious effort and aren't reckless, and you should have no problem with utilities regardless of which of the FAMU apartments you live in.