Columbia Area Utilities

Water & Light 
water and electric provider for
all Columbia residents
874-7325

Union Electric
natural gas provider
1 800 552-7583

Boone Electric
electric provider for residents
outside city limits
449-4181

Searching for the Energy Efficient Rental

Plan ahead. Investigating energy details before you sign the lease can help you avoid wasting money in an inefficient rental. Begin your search by choosing a convenient location - one that is close to work and school - to minimize transportation costs. 

Rental housing involves many types of utilities including electricity, natural gas, water, sewer, solid waste, phone, and cable TV. Some of these utilities may be included in the rent. However, energy utilities - electricity and natural gas - are often extra costs that add to your monthly bills. In certain situations these costs can be significant. If you  will be paying for energy costs, contact the appropriate utility provider(s) for an estimated idea of your future monthly expenses. They can tell you what the high and low bills ran for that address over the past year. Assuming that your lifestyle would be similar to the previous tenant, you should be able to estimate what your yearly expenses will be. 

Before calling the utility, be prepared with the exact address of the rental property for which you're inquiring. 

A major energy decision is whether to rent an apartment or a house. Apartments generally have lower utility costs than houses. They are typically smaller, which means less space to heat and cool, and they share walls, ceilings, and floors with neighbors, which also reduces costs. Houses, on the other hand, have exposed walls and attics, as well as a basement or crawlspace that leaks heat. With few exceptions, utility costs are generally higher for houses than apartments.

Location, especially for apartments in multi-unit structures, is important. Ground floor units tend to be cooler year round while top floor apartments tend to be warmer. Windows with a southern exposure to the sun will allow your apartment to collect natural heat in winter. A west facing set of windows, however, can really "heat up" your summer air-conditioning bills!

Another amenity, the enclosed hallway in an apartment building, can help lessen utility costs by buffering temperatures between outdoors and indoors. An enclosed porch on a house acts in the same fashion. Landscaping can also enhance the efficiency of a house or apartment. Trees shading west or east walls help reduce cooling costs. Evergreens on the north side of the dwelling can block north winds in winter, making January and February a bit more comfortable. South facing walls should have no shading or seasonal shading with trees that shed leaves in winter, so that the winter sun can warm up the south side. 

Thermal Envelope: floors, walls and ceilings

Heat flows out of your rental in winter and into it in summer. How fast it flows depends on two factors: how much insulation there is in the walls, ceiling, and floor; and how much air leakage the structure has.

Insulation slow the transfer of heat - so the more your rental has the better! Ask the owner what levels of insulation are in the walls, ceiling, and floor. If they aren't sure, ask to inspect it yourself. Ideally, the attic will have 10" to 12" of insulation (the type of insulation is less relevant than its depth). Twelve inches will deliver a resistance, or 'R' value, of 38. R-38 is the recommended value for Columbia and is required for all new construction. Not only does proper insulation save you money, it benefits the owner by lowering the wear and tear on the heating and cooling equipment!

Wall insulation is more difficult to check. Building codes have required wall insulation for the past 25years, so you can assume that most rentals have it. The exception would be rentals that are older, or those built outside Columbia city limits. In these cases, you can sometimes inspect by taking a switch or outlet plate off and peering into the wall cavity. If you see an empty wall cavity, you can assume high utility bills and drafty living conditions. You should also check the floor, especially if there is a crawlspace or unheated garage. Generally 3" to 6" is recommended. 

Windows can lose a great deal of heat. They have a lower 'R' value than walls (six times less), which means they lose a lot more for each square foot of glass. New window systems, with two panes of glass, will not need storm windows. you can see the extra pane by the reflection, which will have a double image. If there are storm windows, check them for any obvious gaps around the sides, or loose fitting windows. 

Air leakage is the other method of heat loss. Infiltrating air can account for 50 percent of annual heating and cooling costs! The air leakage effect is particularly pronounced in winter when the expensive warm air in you house rises - like a hot air balloon - and actually exerts a force on the ceiling and upper levels as it tries to escape. When it finds a crack or opening, around an attic access door or recessed ceiling light, it pushes through into the attic and leaves your thermal envelope. Cold air is then pulled in at the lower levels creating drafts and general discomfort for you. 

So the first place to check for air leakage is the ceiling. Look for loose attic access doors, recessed light fixtures, ceiling-mounted heat registers, or any other potential escape route into the attic. The more of these "holes" the more air that will leak out, and the higher the heating bill.

After the ceiling, move your inspection to the lower level. Check the windows and doors to see how tightly they close. Is there any light coming in around the edges? The common double-hung window (two sashes that slide up and down) should fit tightly in the middle where the lock is. Tight-fitting windows and doors usually signal an efficient dwelling - one that controls utility costs while it enhances comfort.

Major Appliances

Appliance efficiencies determine a big part of your energy costs, so it is a good idea to know what you're looking for when checking out your rental. In terms of cost, the major appliances are: the heating equipment; air conditioner; and water heater. Most major and some minor appliance usually come with the rental.

Heating Equipment

Heating equipment is the largest component of annual energy bills. Investigating the type of heating system should be a major consideration in evaluating a rental. This includes evaluating the type or heating fuel. Natural gas is the most common heating source found in Columbia, followed by electric heat pumps. Other heating systems that you may find are resistance furnaces, natural gas space heaters, and electric baseboard heaters. 

Efficiencies of all furnaces are affected by their age, and natural gas units are no exception. Older gas furnaces can be as low as 35% efficient - or in other works, for every $1 you spend, 65 cents goes up the chimney! Furnaces manufactured in the 1960s and 1970s have a standing pilot light and achieve efficiencies of 50% to 65%. Pilot lights can consume up to $5 of gas per month, even during the summer if left burning. Newer furnaces use spark ignition systems and operate at efficiencies ranging from 70% to 95%. A new furnace, depending on the model, will save you %50 to $150 per year over older ones. 

Electricity is the second most common heat source. There are many varieties of electric heaters and furnaces. Out of these, heat pumps are the most efficient. Depending on the weather, heat pumps can deliver heat at efficiencies up to 300%. They do this be moving heat rather than transforming it, which uses less power than electric resistance heating. Newer heat pumps have an additional cost incentive in that they may qualify for the lower cost Heat Pump Rate provided by Columbia Water & Light.

Electric forced air furnaces are more commonly found in rentals than heat pumps. The electric furnace has resistance heaters that convert electricity into heat. They are 100% efficient yet they can prove costly, especially if used to heat an inefficient dwelling. In an energy efficient dwelling, however, the lower heating needs may make electric resistance heating economical.

Electric baseboard heating is generally considered the least efficient and most expensive system to operate. Installed on the floor along the baseboard, these heating units heat only the rooms they are located in. This makes it flexible, because you can set each room to a different temperature, but baseboard heaters lose much of their heat through the walls and floor making them an expensive method of heating.

Whether your rental is heated by gas or electricity, the operating costs will be greatly affected by the air duct system used to deliver heated air. You should ask to inspect the furnace. Do the ducts run through any unheated areas like a crawlspace, attic, or unheated garage? The easier it is for air to move from the furnace into the rooms, and then back to the furnace, the more efficient the system is. Also does it look relatively clean and well maintained? Ask to see the furnace filter. Is it dirty? Most importantly, the brain of both the cooling and heating system is the thermostat. You should at leas expect the thermostat to be securely attached to the wall and the controls are working properly. Finding a programmable thermostat is a definite plus for energy efficiency!

Dirty furnace filters are found in four out of five furnace systems inspected by Water & Light. A totally clogged filter can raise your heating and cooling costs be 25% to 40%! Ask the owner to show you where the filter is located. This will show you how difficult it is to get to the winter and summer seasons. You should find out who is responsible for changing it, you or the landlord. 

Cooling Equipment

Air conditioning is another major contributor to your annual energy bill. Air conditioners operate just like heat pumps in that they move heat from the inside to the outside. An air conditioner's efficiency is determined by its mechanical design with newer models being more economical than older ones.

Besides age, air conditioner efficiencies are affected by how well they've been maintained, so it is a good idea to take a look at the cooling unit of a prospective rental. The outside condenser should be sitting on a level surface, free of foliage that may block air flowing into it. Check the finned heat exchanger that surrounds the condenser to make sure the fins are aligned and clean. What you want is equipment that is in good shape with unobstructed airflow.

Window air conditioners are normally less efficient than central air conditioners. However, because they only cool one or two rooms, their overall contribution to the utility bill may be less than that from a central unit. Age is especially important in window air conditioners. Older ones are less efficient and will undoubtedly be more expensive to operate. Check the filters and fins on these units, also.

Water Heaters

Water heating is normally the second highest utility expenditure. Water heaters can add between $200 and $400 per year to your utility bill. They use energy both in heating water and in maintaining the temperature once the water's heated. The age, insulation, temperature setting, and location of the unit influence a water heater's efficiency. Make an inspection of the water heater. Is it located in a heated portion of the house? (Good!). Or is it in an unheated attic or garage? (Bad!). Is there any evidence of water leaks around the unit or any of the faucets? If so, they should be remedied before you move in. If it is not labeled as an "energy saver", then the heater should have an insulation jacket wrapped around it. You might ask the owner to install an insulation jacket, or consider adding one yourself. The initial cost of the insulation jacket is usually returned in energy savings within one year.

Water heaters are required to be sold with energy efficiency labels. These yellow labels show how efficient a model is compared to other water heaters of the same size. They also state how much money the appliance will consume in annual energy costs. The label is only required to be on the appliance at the time of sale, but is rarely removed once the unit's been purchased and can provide a good indicator of energy efficiency.

Minor Appliances

Refrigerators

Refrigerators range between $4 and $15 per month to operate, or $50 to $180 per year. Their efficiency is determined by age, cleanliness of cooling coils, functioning thermostat, and a tight door gasket. "Side by side" refrigerators, those with the freezer compartment running up one side, generally cost more to run than units with the freezer on top.

Laundry

If laundry facilities are included with your rental, your energy bill may be a bit higher, but your out-of-pocket expenses will be about 75% lower than if you have to use a commercial laundromat. Because most of the energy used in laundry goes into heating the water, check for an efficient hot water system and that the washing machine has cold water options.

Dishwashers

Like most other appliances, newer model dishwashers use less energy than older models. Because dishwashers require water temperatures higher than that recommended for other household uses, look for those units that have a booster that heats the incoming water to the needed temperature. These save the water heater from having to supply water that is too hot for the rest of your uses. Used properly, dishwashers can be more efficient than washing dishes by hand.

Lifestyles of the Energy Efficient

return to Renter's Guide home

.the expensive 
warm air in your house
rises - like a hot air
balloon - and actually
exerts a force on the
ceiling and upper levels
as it tries to escape.

Common Appliances 
and the Amount of
Electricity Each Uses

room air conditioner
1000 watts

automatic toaster
1100 watts

automatic washer
700 watts

blender
300 watts

coffee maker
600 watts

dehumidifier
350 watts

dishwasher
1500 watts

dry or steam iron
1000 watts

electric blanket
200 watts

electric clothes dryer
4500 watts

electric water heater
4500 watts

frostless freezer
440 watts

fluorescent light bulb
15-40 watts

garbage disposal
900 watts

hair dryer
1200 watts

lamps
40-150 watts/bulb

portable fan
100 watts

radio
71 watts

electric range
8000 watts

frostless refrigerator
600 watts

sewing machine
75 watts

hi-fi stereo
300 watts

tubeless color TV
200 watts

vacuum cleaner
630 watts