Did you know that buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions within the European Union?
With the climate emergency becoming increasingly urgent, the need for energy-efficient solutions in the property sector has never been more critical. As a property manager, you are in a pivotal position to help the industry achieve this by educating tenants and residents on sustainable practices and encouraging them to adopt environmentally friendlier energy strategies.
Below, we share some strategies to incentivize your tenants to make energy efficiency a part of their daily lives. With your tenants’ help, you’ll be in a better position to reach your own sustainable targets and help drive a greener, more sustainable future for the wider community.
Home energy rebate programs provide financial incentives to tenants who invest in energy-saving appliances or home upgrades, making a more sustainable lifestyle more affordable and accessible. These schemes offer an excellent opportunity to encourage tenants to adopt energy-efficient habits while helping them save money.
Under the US Home Energy Rebate Programs, tenants can earn rebates on products like energy-efficient appliances, including HVAC systems, water heaters, and solar panels, as well as insulation upgrades and other home improvements.
Encouraging your tenants to explore these options can greatly reduce their energy consumption, so ensure you communicate to them the eligibility and potential benefits of the schemes.
Remind tenants to check with government agencies to see what rebates they are eligible for before they start the application process.
Most rebate programs require tenants to:
Like rebates, other financial incentives can be just the nudge tenants need to boost their energy efficiency efforts.
Energy providers normally offer several energy-saving programs and schemes that tenants can join or sign up for to receive rewards, obtain benefits like vouchers, and get discounts or credits on their bills. Make sure tenants know about these options and encourage them to check if they are eligible.
Clean energy tax credits are also available to reward actions such as using heat pumps, solar power, or picking energy-efficient appliances. Share this information with tenants so they can check which benefits or schemes they qualify for.
💡 Pro tip: Don’t underestimate the power of non-financial incentives in driving your energy efficiency goals. If you manage a multifamily property, organizing fun events such as energy-saving or recycling challenges or giving monthly awards for efficiency can also be good ways to inspire tenants to lead a greener lifestyle.
It can also help foster a community spirit, which will positively impact your overall goal of becoming more environmentally friendly.
Proactively and regularly sharing helpful information and tips will help tenants lead a greener and more sustainable lifestyle, boost long-term energy efficiency, and foster environmental responsibility.
To do this, you can:
Not everybody is familiar with the importance of sustainability. Hosting your own workshops or partnering with organizations or non-profits for informational sessions can be an effective way to help tenants understand what they can do and why it’s important
These sessions can cover topics like reducing water and electricity consumption, choosing energy-efficient appliances, and adopting sustainable habits. Ensure you have time for Q&As so attendees get the most out of the event.
In addition to workshops, regularly distribute educational materials like brochures, newsletters, or online resources that tenants can keep on hand for reference. These should offer actionable tips, such as using energy-efficient lighting, unplugging appliances when not in use, and optimizing heating and cooling systems.
Tailor the format of your educational resources to suit your tenant demographic—for instance, by offering physical brochures for senior tenants or a tenant dashboard with digital guides for tech-savvy residents.
Smart technology can help tenants automate indoor climate control, optimize energy consumption, and lower energy bills. Minut’s indoor climate feature, for example, allows users to have a real-time overview of their properties' temperature and humidity levels and adjust them as needed.
Minut also integrates with smart thermostats such as Google Nest and tado°, enabling users to manage indoor climate remotely to conserve energy and automate actions (such as turning the AC or heating on or off) to suit their schedules and needs. This prevents indoor climate systems from running when the property is empty or when cooling or heating is unnecessary.
Not all your tenants will be familiar with the tech available, so education is key.
Run or share demos on how this equipment works, highlighting ease of use, benefits, and potential savings to tenants and residents, and consider discussing the installation of smart devices with landlords.
Waste management is a crucial part of sustainability efforts. Encouraging tenants to adopt responsible waste disposal practices can have a significant environmental impact.
Approaches to optimize waste management include:
Setting up comprehensive recycling and composting programs within a property is a simple but effective way to promote sustainability and efficiency.
Ensure tenants know what materials can be recycled or composted and provide labeled bins with clear instructions and visual cues to drive adoption. Send out flyers and emails and post signs in common areas of multifamily settings to explain and reinforce the importance of waste management and help tenants build responsible habits.
Minimizing single-use plastics is another important aspect of reducing waste. Offer refillable water bottles or cloth shopping bags to encourage tenants to adopt reusable alternatives. Through tenant communications, you can promote eco-friendly behavior by highlighting the environmental impact of single-use plastics.
Water conservation plays a vital role in overall energy efficiency by reducing the amount of energy needed to heat and pump water.
To drive water-saving habits, start by:
Installing low-flow faucets, showerheads, and toilets is a simple yet effective way to conserve water. These fixtures reduce water consumption without sacrificing tenant comfort. Explain the benefits to tenants, as they may not immediately realize the long-term savings on utility bills.
Small changes in daily life can have a big impact. Help tenants reduce water waste by offering simple tips like taking shorter showers, fixing leaks immediately, and only running dishwashers and washing machines with full loads. Providing clear and simple advice via signs in common areas or through tenant platforms, emails, or newsletters can raise awareness and encourage action.
Incentivizing tenants to adopt energy-efficient habits, whether by applying for energy rebates or using smart technology like Minut, benefits them and the wider community. It also helps you to achieve your environmental goals as a property manager.
By educating tenants, offering incentives, and implementing waste management and water conservation solutions, you can create a community that values sustainability, helping you cut energy consumption and bills and achieve energy efficiency goals for your portfolio.
Curious to know how Minut can help you drive efficiency and make your portfolio greener? Discover Minut’s indoor climate monitoring today.
