I rent a townhouse and I'm finding myself spending a lot of money on heating/cooling. I've read lots of suggestions for keeping these costs down, but they mostly apply to homeowners. For example, I'm not going to be able to add insulation to my rental. Right now, I'm keeping the heat off as much as possible and just using a small heater wherever I am in The House. Also trying to remember to turn lights off/unplug things that aren't being used. Any more tips would be greatly appreciated (by my bank account!)
Have you considered discussing this issue and costs with the owner? It would be an improvement (especially if the town home NEEDS insulation or upgrades) that would probably be a worthy investment in the long run. One thing we've noticed is that our heat runs less frequently when we keep ceiling fans on low all the time. Our heat vents are all in the ceilings (idiotic but whatever) so fans re-circulate the warm air that rises and the additional electricity they use is minimal compared to what they save. I've also begun to close the blinds AND the curtains on particularly cold nights, which keeps the downstairs (with all the windows) much warmer. This would be another thing in your control.
Be careful with using the small heater! Small electric heaters can sometimes be such electricity hogs that you're better off simply running the real heat for a while instead of running the space heater. As for insulation, if there are any rooms that you're not really using, put a blanket over the door and shut the vents in that room. For example, if you have a small office or laundry room that you're not in often, block those rooms off entirely. The rooms will get cold, so keep the doors and blanket blocks in place as much as possible to avoid letting the cold in. It'll help cut down how much your heat needs to run because it will be heating a smaller space.
I am in the same boat. Our electric bills are absolutely ridicules. The property managers don't really care. I know there has to be someplace in my bedroom that is letting cold air in and our bedroom is just freezing at night. I wouldn't mind so much, we have lots of blankets, however I would like to keep the heat that we are paying for stay in the duplex. We just can't find where there is a gap someone. It's probably either the back door or the window, but not one can find anything wrong.
The problem is the house you are living in. Some homes have wiring issues that raise your energy bill. If you are doing all those things to cut energy cost, and your bill is still high. You may need to think about finding another place to live, because your house most likely has wiring issues.
There are plastic films that can be attached to the inside of a window frame. They shrink with a blow dryer and form a tight seal around the window preventing a lost of heat through escaping air and acting like an extra pane of glass. I have never used them but friends have and say it helps quite a bit. if you have a fireplace, make sure to close the damper when it isn't in use. Make sure the weatherstripping around the doors is in good shape as well - this is a cheap and easy fix and is something that you can do as a renter. If there is cold air at the base of external doors, get a door mat up snug against it if you can't close the gap another way.
I'm also a renter and experienced the same problem. I decided to cut and control my heating/cooling costs. I caution safety and research 1st. As a child my dad used a kerosene heater. I got a used kerosene heater and it heated up the entire front of the home. Also, I have a small propane heater. You have to make sure to have ventilation when using both of these. For cooling, I mainly use fans and make sure I use shades/curtains.
