Hey all, I know some of you are the handy sort so I have a question for you: to what extent can we improve the efficiency of an older rental with a not-so-efficient heating system? And how would we go about doing that?
Back story: I've been apartment hunting pretty hard for a couple of months now and am getting nervous because there's a rental shortage in our area and we aren't having very good luck. I finally found a place today that looks like it could work. The location couldn't be more perfect- it's in a neighborhood that isn't ritzy but is really quiet and safe. It's right next to a bike path that would take me just about anywhere I need to go. Within walking distance of the store and many of my friends' houses. Easy walk to the main bus line in town, so I could also easily take the bus if biking isn't an option. It's more than big enough for the two of us, but still well under 30% of our combined income, and is big enough that if we wanted to rent out a second bedroom either short-term or long-term to save on rent, we could. The landlord seems like a decent guy, pretty laid back but doesn't let the place totally fall apart (I could tell so many horror stories about the conditions of some apartments around here). Overall I'm pretty happy with the place.
So here's the only issue I have with the place: The furnace is bloody ancient, and the landlord even admitted that the gas bills can run high. The windows are newer, but the building itself is old. It's a brick building, with other units on either side (so 2 exterior walls, 2 shared ones). We can't do a lot about the furnace, but if we ended up moving into this place I'm wondering what we could do to keep the gas bill lower? Feels weird to think about that when it's 97 degrees outside but I know it'll be an issue in the winter. As it is, we'd be using window ACs to cool the place and we'd probably be conservative with those, so I'm more worried about heat than cooling. A large gas bill wouldn't make-or-break us, but it certainly would be unpleasant when I'd rather be putting money into savings right now.
I know the obvious: wear layers and turn it down, plastic on the windows, thermal curtains, stop up drafts with foam or some other insulation. But is there anything I'm not thinking of that would help efficiently heat the place? Any handymen/women who can chime in with other suggestions?