What do you pay for utilities in your house?

[NDArmyGrrl]

I pay:
Elect & Gas 180-220 per month NOV-Feb, June-Aug
Elect & Gas 40-80 per month Mar-May, Sep-Oct
Water & Trash $26 average. (They only check every third month, so every third month it goes from $20 to $40).

2480 SF

[banana]

My electric bill has been averaging around $100 a month during the winter.

We have oil heat and paid $1,131 for heating oil this season (we also use oil for our hotwater).


Water/sewer bill has been averaging arounf $50 a month.

Garbage is $26 a month.

[JBinKC]

Water/sewer $70/month (nothing I can do about it its fixed not metered). I know I am likely paying the among the highest rates in the country on this. I have sent complaints to the regulatory commission of the state over this issue which has been a waste of time so far.


Electric $65 winter $90 summer

I eliminated propane 3 years ago which I figure would run about $1600 this heating season. I now heat with wood which ran about $60/year in incidental costs to harvest.

Garbage collection $15/month

[disneysteve]

We do the equal payment plan for gas and electric. Our current budget is $205/month. We're running a little over budget, but I'm hoping we'll even out when we stop needing the heater.

Water runs $35-40/month.

We also pay $79/quarter for sewer.

[Daylily]

Equal Payment Plan in the Midwest
(HOT in the Summer, COLD in the Winter)

Electric: $92
Propane Gas: $71

1400 sq ft house.

[kilapapipa]

Central Wyoming- 2600 sq. ft.

Gas ranges from $18 in summer to $233 in winter.

Electric ranges from $75 in summer to $143 in winter.

Wat,Sew,Trash ranges from $90 in Summer to $26 in Winter.

It is hard to budget all this. I tried budget billing a few years ago but they killed us with that.

[sweeps]

Originally Posted by kilapapipa

I tried budget billing a few years ago but they killed us with that.

What I find amusing is when you get a bill for $20 and below that it says "Sign up for budgeted billing! Pay only $140 this month!"

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by kilapapipa

It is hard to budget all this. I tried budget billing a few years ago but they killed us with that.

What didn't you like about the budget billing?

[LivingAlmostLarge]

$200/electric, $200 gas heat/month balanced billing. And that's in a townhouse with neighbors helping. Damn expensive.

[Brokemofo]

$250 average over the last 7 months for just gas and electric. Water, trash, and sewer are extra.

[kilapapipa]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

What didn't you like about the budget billing?

An example was our Gas bill averaged out at $87 a month one year and they gave the opportunity to sign up for winterguard the next year which I understand would help us budget in the winter but the monthly bill was going to be around $112. You know they are not going to lose money on the deal, they will be sure of that. I realize the price of gas would probably go up but I will take my chances in the winter. I would rather pay $18 in the summer than the $112. I seen another thread about climate change which I have not read but we seem to get more mild winters here every year and that is another reason to take my chances.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by kilapapipa

An example was our Gas bill averaged out at $87 a month one year and they gave the opportunity to sign up for winterguard the next year which I understand would help us budget in the winter but the monthly bill was going to be around $112.

I don't know if all companies are the same, but with PSE&G, I called and asked them to lower the budgeted amount because I thought it was too high based on our average usage. One year, we ended the billing year a couple hundred under budget and they were going to increase the amount for the next year. I just called and they lowered it to what I felt was reasonable. So if my average was $87, I would just request a monthly bill of $90 perhaps.

[khilleme]

Electric 75
Gas 150
Garbage 20
City Utilities 45

[kilapapipa]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I don't know if all companies are the same, but with PSE&G, I called and asked them to lower the budgeted amount because I thought it was too high based on our average usage. One year, we ended the billing year a couple hundred under budget and they were going to increase the amount for the next year. I just called and they lowered it to what I felt was reasonable. So if my average was $87, I would just request a monthly bill of $90 perhaps.

I would like your set up. Problem here is the winterguard amount is set by the gas company based on your usage from the year before and there is no "get even" clause at the end of the year as I think you are able to do. So, if I choose their option and the price of gas goes down or the temp goes up or I use my fireplace more, I still pay the monthly amount. I guess budget billing would be more like what you explained where you set the budget amount. Hope this makes sense.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by kilapapipa

I would like your set up. Problem here is the winterguard amount is set by the gas company based on your usage from the year before and there is no "get even" clause at the end of the year

That's lousy. I don't know why anyone would take that plan. Yes, our last month is a balance month. If you are under budget, you get a credit. If you are over budget, you pay the difference. But in the end, you only pay for your actual usage.

[bjl584]

Gas = $63
Electric = $35
Water = $4.26

all are monthly

[LuxLiving]

kilapapia - could YOU average your payments out and put it monthly into your own escrowed high yield savings account? Then when winter snow flies and your bill is high, you pull it out of your savings and pay it. Not as easy as having them budget it for you, however, it does keep them from overestimating it.

Even so, you could designate an account to be automatically filled each month for utilities and then have auto-pays on utilities come directly from it. Easy.

[mom-from-missouri]

We are a farm, and have 2 meters (one for the house, one for the barn) on everything, but here are the totals:

Electric between $140 and $300 --depends on the weather-if we have to run heat lamps and stock heaters or AC in the house

Water-between $65-$110--again depends on the weather-if we have to fill stock tanks or not.

No sewer-we have a septic tank and evap. pond

Propane--we fill as we go along-prices vary each fill.

[kilapapipa]

Originally Posted by LuxLiving

kilapapia - could YOU average your payments out and put it monthly into your own escrowed high yield savings account? Then when winter snow flies and your bill is high, you pull it out of your savings and pay it. Not as easy as having them budget it for you, however, it does keep them from overestimating it.

Even so, you could designate an account to be automatically filled each month for utilities and then have auto-pays on utilities come directly from it. Easy.

I could probably do that. Thanks for the suggestion.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

It's going to be 26 tomorrow, what is going on. I haven't turned the heat off yet. I leave it at 50, so it's not like the house is warm. But after last year's fiasco of pipes bursting, I can't take the same chances.