September in Cambridge means moving vans and getting settled into new apartments. To help you make an informed decision as you pick and move into a new apartment, the team at the non-profit Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) has created a Renter’s Checklist.

The checklist is designed as a series of questions to ask about, as well as a guide to creating a lower-cost, energy efficient apartment once you’ve moved in. As a result, you can use the checklist to get all of the relevant information you need when you’re seeing an apartment, and thus help you avoid a drafty, inefficient, and expensive home. And, even if you’ve already picked out your dream apartment, asking about the home’s equipment and utilities can be a way for you and your landlord to identify what needs to be fixed. After all, it’s best to identify a problem with the heating system now than in the middle of January.

Finally, once you’re settled in to your new home, you can use the “Simple Low-Cost and N0-Cost Measures” in the guide to help make your apartment as efficient and comfortable as possible.

A Guide for Renting and Creating Lower Cost Energy Efficient Apartments and Homes

Plus you can read this blog post from NEEP about how one team member used the guide to help save money on energy.