How to Estimate What Your Apartment Utilities Will Cost

Apartment Utilities Cost

On average, the cost of apartment utilities continues to rise making it very important to know how much money you will have to spend in order to heat and cool your new apartment. Apartment utilities will cost more or less depending upon the size and type of your new apartment as well as the general cost of utilities in your area. Here is what you need to do to determine how much your apartment utilities will cost before you commit to a new apartment.

Instructions

1. Find out if any utilities are included in the price of your standard apartment rent. Many times a landlord or apartment complex will include the cost of heat or electricity into your monthly rent, and if this is this case then you can factor out that portion of the bill when doing your estimation. This is a nice perk that you should look for when shopping for apartments because it will reduce your average apartment utilities cost by a significant amount, especially if heat is included during the cold months.

2. Determine the type of heating and cooling that is in the unit, along with the age of the equipment. This can be done by asking the landlord or rental agent when you preview the apartment or even by a simple phone call before you meet in person. Sometimes boiler heat is cheaper to run as opposed to gas. Central air can be less expensive than window units, and newer models tend to be more efficient saving you money.

3. Ask the previous tenant/landlord about their average apartment utilities cost over the last year or so. This will give you an excellent idea of what you can expect to pay during your apartment lease and which months will tend to be the highest.

4. Contact the energy company in your area, give them the address of the property, and ask them for the average amount of utility cost per month. This is a great way to find out more information about how much you will be spending, especially if the current tenant or landlord doesn't really pay attention to their bills or keep track of their usage. By talking to the energy company they can also help you estimate how much the cost of energy will rise within the next year if at all, and this will bring your estimation even closer to your actual usage figures.

5. Consider whether you are a heavy user and factor that into your estimation. If you tend to leave a lot of lights on, run a television or computer constantly, or like to keep your apartment very warm in the winter and cold during the summer you may be a heavy user of energy resources. If this is the case you might want to factor in an additional 25-35% to your overall estimation to get a more accurate number.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't be afraid to ask all the important questions about the condition of the energy equipment in the apartment, and don't stop inquiring until you feel you've come up with a good estimation of what your energy bill will be in your new apartment. You don't want to end up in over your head with old, malfunctioning equipment and a sky high bill.