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Old 12-16-08, 02:12 PM   #1
MetroMPG
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: 1000 Islands region, Ontario, Canada
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Default Squeezing the most from a tiny, old, uninsulated apartment

I'm staying on the Nova Scotia Atlantic coast for the winter (until March, approximately).

It's a tiny apartment - 287 square feet! (26.7 m^2.) - in an old house, maybe 100 years old.

For the challenge, I'm monitoring & trying to minimize energy consumption - but mods have to be within reason because it's a rental, and a short-term one at that.

Here's the set-up...
  • ALL electric - baseboard heat, hot water.
  • Only non-electric thing is a propane BBQ, which gets used maybe once or twice a week.
  • The little fridge (about 4 sq. feet) only uses about .4 kWh a day.
I'm not sure what the heat draws, but I'm guessing it's 2000+ watts.
  • On days where the overnight low was -7C to -10C (14-19F), total kWh for the 24 hour period has been between 19-23 kWh.
  • When the low has been between +3 to +9C (37-48F), total usage has been 10-16 kWh.
And here's what's been done so far...
  • Since it's more or less a 1-room place and I spend 95% of my time in that one room when I'm here (which is most of the time -work from home), I've closed the door to the walk in closet and hung a curtain between that room and the kitchen/bath.
  • Put clear plastic on the 2 windows (unfortunately no southern exposure - west & north).
  • Unplug all electronics when not in use (my laptop is my work/entertainment center)
  • Use a 1500w toaster oven rather than the stove, where possible
  • And of course, keep the thermostat low, dress warmly and turn it WAY down at night (15C / 59F)
Here's the old pile! (The yellow one.)



The window on the top left is my west facing one.

Heat is obviously the big energy hog here.

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