As bizarre weather patterns grip the United States, the record drought that has kept Atlanta metro water levels low for years continues. Saving water in your Atlanta apartment has stopped being an option and has become an absolute necessity as the drought wears on. Here are a few common sense tips you can follow in your apartment to help save water today and into the future.

If you don’t already have one, a low flow shower head can really cut down on your water usage costs. Almost all modern apartments have these showerheads already installed, but some Atlanta area landlords haven’t bothered spending the extra dollar or two to help save you money. A low flow shower head can cut water usage by up to 20 percent, so head to your local hardware store for the latest water saving models.

If your bathroom or kitchen sink has a drip, the water you are wasting is far more than a drop in the bucket. Often times, a 15 cent washer replacement will stop that drip in its tracks and the savings to your water bill can be a lot bigger than you think. If you cannot install it yourself, ask your landlord for help.

Finally, using a water pitcher in your fridge is an excellent way to save on your water bill. Instead of waiting for the tap water to get cold so you can have a drink, the water in your fridge is always cold and ready, and you never waste a drop.

If you aren’t familiar with the idea of securing your wireless internet connection, a recent story out of the state of Florida should serve as a heads up. An unassuming family had their front door broken down by a SWAT team looking for computers filled with illegally downloaded files from the Internet. The family only used their Internet connection to check email and send family photographs, but someone outside of the home had been using their unsecured connection to break the law. No charges were pressed against the family, but this incident should be a clear signal that if you use a wireless Internet connection, you could be held responsible for the images and data downloaded on it by other people.

If you aren’t sure if your wireless signal is protected or not, there is a very simple way to figure it out. When you are home and you open up your laptop computer, it should search for all available wireless Internet connections in your area. If you live in a crowded apartment building, your computer could find as many as a dozen connections that are either locked up tight or unlocked and open to use. Your computer should show a small padlock next to those signals that are secure and no padlock or locking picture next to those that aren’t. If your home Internet connection is listed as one without a lock next to it, your connection in open for anyone to use, and it is your responsibility to secure it.

If you aren’t a computer expert, you can ask a friend or a computer technician to come by and secure your Internet connection for you. It only takes a few minutes and you will need to come up with a login and password for your router, as well as a login and password for your connection. Make sure you write this information down somewhere so you don’t lose it. If given the option, use 128bit encryption instead of 64bit, as it is tougher to hack.

One important part of moving that many people forget to do is to call ahead and have their utilities turned on before they arrive. While some utilities in Atlanta give you a choice, such as cable or satellite television, others don’t provide any choice at all. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before you move into your beautiful new Atlanta apartment.

If you can, make sure you get all of your utilities in both you and your roommate’s names. This will tie both of you to the apartment and not allow one of you to simply ignore the bill and move out with an outstanding balance. Some utilities will allow this, but some won’t so call ahead to see what arrangements they can make for people living with roommates.

If you are undecided when it comes to picking cable over satellite television, talk with your roommate about the benefits and make the decision together, especially if you are going to be splitting the bill 50-50. You can call ahead and have your cable or satellite connected so the moment you move in, you can have your favorite shows or events waiting for you.

Before you make that decision to go with cable or satellite, you should consider bundling options that may or may not be available in your area. With the rise of Internet based phones and Internet connections through your cable or satellite company, you can often get your services bundled so that you get discounts on what you would pay having the same services individually. If the savings is significant enough, you may want to go with one or the other based on the savings.Getting your Atlanta utilities connected

Check to see what other choices you have for utilities in your part of Atlanta. Some areas give choices in power and water companies, and the savings can be significant.

When it comes to picking the right place to live, we all have our own criteria that we need to meet, but one popular perk that many apartment complexes now offer is free utilities as part of your rent. It is safe to say that most of us count rent as a major deciding factor when it comes to picking a place to live, but we often don’t think about things like the power bill, water bill or other utilities as a major influence on where we decide to live.

That should change, however. Let’s look at an example. Let’s say that apartment #1 is offering rent for $800 and apartment #2 is offering rent for $830, but it also includes heat and hot water. On the surface, most of us would rather save $30 a month and choose the first place, but when you really break down what you’ll save on heat and hot water over the length of your lease, the second place is actually less expensive.

Now, heat and hot water are only two of the common perks that many apartment complexes offer. Some offer free cable or satellite television as part of the package, which can be a significant savings each and every month, however, it may only cover basic channels and if you want an upgrade, you may have to pay for the whole thing yourself. Make sure you understand the fine print on your apartment perks before you move in.