I'm looking for an apartment. What are my eco-friendly options?

Feb 04, 4642 |

Q: I’m looking for an apartment.  What are my eco-friendly options?

A: In a city with rents that seem to grow like well-watered Chia Pets, apartment-hunting can be a serious headache. Nonetheless, having some green prerequisites is definitely doable. 

First thing to consider is being close to stuff that’ll help you keep your eco footprint small. Is there a streetcar, bus line or subway? Are you within biking distance of your job or school? Can you easily walk to a grocery store and other services you use regularly? If not, keep lookin’.

Next you’ve got to assess the space itself. You can always add a cheap low-flow shower head yourself, but does the apartment have, say, a low-flow toilet? What about natural light so you’re not flicking the lights on constantly?

Ask about what kind of heating/cooling is in place. Natural gas furnaces are much greener than electric baseboards, especially if you’re paying for heat. Hell, I turned down a great apartment in Kensington because it had baseboard heaters. At $400 a month for hydro in winter, it was an easy decision to make. I ended up going with a pad that happened to have all new Energy Star heating/cooling and water heating.

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