The renter's sustainability challenge
Owning your home gives you options: solar panels, insulation upgrades, efficient boilers, double glazing. Renting leaves you with the landlord's choices. But renting does not mean zero impact. Here are 15 changes that require no permission, no tools, and no permanent alterations.
Energy and heating
1. Switch to a renewable energy tariff
No hardware, no installation — just call or go online and switch your gas and electricity account to a 100% renewable tariff. In the US, community solar subscriptions are available in many states. This is the single highest-impact change most renters can make.
2. Draught excluders under doors
Self-adhesive foam strips on door frames and under-door draught excluders can reduce heat loss by 15-20% in leaky older properties. They peel off cleanly. Cost: under $15.
3. Thermal curtains
Heavy lined or thermal curtains reduce heat loss through windows significantly. You take them with you when you move. A good pair costs $40-80 and can noticeably reduce heating bills.
4. Reflect heat behind radiators
Radiator reflector panels (thin foil-backed foam, cut to size and slid behind radiators) bounce heat back into the room. Fully reversible. Cost: about $10-15 for a whole-house kit.
Water
5. Tap aerators
Screw-on devices that reduce tap water flow by 30-50% while maintaining pressure. Fully reversible, take 2 minutes to install, and cost under $5 per tap.
6. Shower timer
A simple waterproof timer suction-cupped to the shower wall. A 4-minute shower uses approximately 32 litres versus 10+ minutes at 80+ litres. Cost: $5.
7. Fix dripping taps
A dripping tap wastes up to 5,500 litres per year. Report it to your landlord in writing — they are legally required to fix it in most jurisdictions.
Kitchen and food
8. Switch to eco cleaning products
No permission needed to change what you put in a spray bottle. Switching to concentrated refillable cleaners and eco dish soap eliminates plastic from your bin immediately.
9. Countertop composting
Bokashi fermentation systems and small countertop composters need no garden. Some cities offer food waste collection — check if yours does.
10. A more efficient kettle and toaster
If you own your kettle and toaster (most renters do), replacing them with energy-efficient models when they wear out makes sense. A good kettle with minimum-fill markings reduces energy use by 25-30%.
Bathroom
11. Bar soap and shampoo
Switching from liquid personal care products to bar alternatives eliminates 4-8 plastic bottles per person per year.
12. Bamboo toothbrush
A billion plastic toothbrushes go to landfill globally per year. Bamboo handles are compostable. Cost is the same as a standard brush.
13. Reusable cotton rounds
A pack of 20 washable cotton rounds replaces hundreds of single-use cotton pads per year. Machine washable in a mesh laundry bag.
Shopping and consumption
14. Reusable bags and produce bags
Always in your bag, need no installation, replace hundreds of single-use bags per year.
15. Switch to a green bank
No property ownership required. Switching your current account to a bank that does not fund fossil fuels moves significant capital away from polluting industries. No cost, fully reversible.
The bottom line
The 15 changes above can collectively reduce a renter's household emissions by 20-30% without ever asking a landlord for permission.
