This might seem like a small fortune, but luckily there are ways to reduce your energy bill. It all depends on where you live, the size of your house or apartment, and most importantly whether you make smart decisions about conserving energy.
Heating and cooling a small apartment with modern windows and proper insulation costs less than heating and cooling a large home. Coupled with greater energy efficiency than their earlier counterparts, however, new homes are going to be less expensive per square foot to heat and cool than in previous decades.
If replacing your thermostat seems daunting and you're looking for an easier fix, then swapping out your old curtains and hanging insulated curtains over your windows is another great option. Extreme heat waves can prompt affected residents to overload their electrical grid and increase demand in energy use in units and buildings. In , the average price per kilowatt-hour kWh—the unit of measurement for electricity for the residential US trended higher than ever, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
At the start of , the price of electricity was only about 7 cents per kWh while in , it was always higher than 12 cents per kWh. How does that translate to your monthly utility bills? It depends on where you live. Some states fare better than others—Utah is the most affordable state to power your home in, while Hawaii is the least.
It may come as no surprise that running an electric clothes dryer uses more kWh than charging your mobile phone or using other small electronics. Silicon Valley Power a municipal utility provider in California breaks down energy use by appliance, basing energy use on 13 cents per kWh and average conditions. There are a variety of ways to save on your electric bill from using energy-efficient alternatives to unplugging or replacing appliances:.
Natural gas is used to warm your house, to keep the hot water running, and, in many instances, to cook. The average US household consumed Depending on where you live, you may end up paying a higher price for your natural gas. You may also see some other items on your gas bill—such as taxes. The price of water is on the rise too. Combating rising water costs is simple; you just have to use less water.
As you go about your day, pay attention to every time you use water. Turning off your faucet while brushing your teeth is one easy way to cut back on your water usage. According to this commercial from Colgate , you waste approximately four gallons of water every time you leave the faucet running when you brush your pearly whites.
Another way to save water is to take shorter showers. On average, showers in the US last around eight minutes, which uses up over Back then, television was essentially free.
Today, cable prices are all over the map, and most are not regulated by the FCC. You can often bundle internet and cable into one bill, saving money on both utilities. Take a look at the top options to see which best matches your cable needs and your budget.
The monthly cost of your internet will vary widely based on connection type and speed. And as you may know, most internet service providers charge a small monthly fee to rent a modem and router.
Buying your own modem and router can help you save big in the long run. See who we recommend for internet services by reading our list of the best internet providers. Prepaid plans are often less expensive than standard postpaid plans, and many of the major mobile carriers have prepaid plan options to choose from. The average American generates about 4. The best way to save on your monthly garbage bill is to create less garbage. Some cities and private collection services charge per bag, so the fewer bags you use, the less you pay.
If one of your essential utilities breaks during the COVID pandemic, there are ways you can keep you, your family, and your technician safe. As always, you should follow these CDC guidelines for stopping the spread :. In response to COVID, many companies that provide valuable utilities like Wi-Fi and power are changing their services to help their customers.
For example, CenturyLink is suspending late fees for 60 days and Xfinity is offering unlimited data for all plans. To learn how other utility providers are evolving, read this guide from Reviews. When you balance your checkbook, you should consider food costs right along with other monthly expenditures like electricity and water bills.
Your individual food costs will depend on a lot of factors like how often you eat out, household size, where you get your groceries, and any dietary restrictions you have. You should never eat less than you need to just to save money, but you can still spend less on food while getting all you need to eat.
Want more ideas on how to save on your grocery bill? Here are some more tips, apps, and worksheets for you to check out. Like utility prices, food prices vary regionally, so it costs more to feed yourself in some states than others. Check out our report on food prices across the US to learn which cities have the highest and lowest food costs.
The result is that the average Connecticut homeowner pays more for their utilities as a whole than average residents in any other state. Alaska is known for frequent snowfall and frigid blizzards. This means Alaskans pay more for natural gas than anyone else in the country.
Massachusetts is the second of five northeastern states to land in our top ten states with the highest utility bills. Who would have thought that the smallest state would have some of the biggest utility prices?
Unlike most of the other states in our top ten, South Carolina has a hot climate that necessitates a lot of AC, which contributes to these hefty bills. Virginia closes out our list of the ten states with the most expensive utilities. First, you need to set a shutoff date for all of your utilities in your current home. Read our guide to moving paperwork to learn more. Keep in mind that Utah experiences droughts from time to time, so water bills in the state may sometimes climb higher than the national average.
Colorado lies directly east of Utah, and the two states are pretty similar in terms of topography, elevation, and climate. Montana holds a significant portion of the famous Rocky Mountains, and like most of the states that the Rockies run through, it made our list of states with the cheapest utility bills.
However, California and Oregon are both in the ten states with the cheapest utility bills, and Washington—the third West Coast state in the contiguous US—is in the cheapest twenty. For comparison, eight of the ten states with the highest utility bills are East Coast states, so the West Coast has cheaper utilities if nothing else.
The new partner semi-moves into the apartment, and it all becomes a crowd. However, your roommate still believes their contribution should be the same as yours. If one of the roommates goes away for extended periods, say during university breaks, you may also need to discuss how this will be handled financially. But there is no need to despair because you can put on your negotiating hat and bring those costs down.
Here are some things you can do. They may think you are unreasonable for asking for a discount for the lawn service or the electricity bill. Still, there is also a possibility that they actually charged you more, expecting that you would ask for a discount. To negotiate, you will need to know the possibilities by researching the competing service providers.
This is the reason why you need to do your research beforehand. Well, if they are not willing to offer a discount, you can always move to the next best offer because you have several of them down your sleeve.
The arrangement allows you to switch to an energy supplier that offers you the best rates. Look, we get it. Get instant ballpark pricing for long distance professional movers with our moving cost calculator.
Gone on way too many walk-throughs but finally found the perfect place. Quick question: Can you afford the utilities? A few things to consider when trying to estimate energy costs… How large is the residence? The more square footage you have the more costly it will be to keep maintain a certain temperature. Very hot or cold climates will mean higher energy bills.
How old are the appliances? How well insulated is the home? Are windows double-pane and well sealed? For example, spaces with open floor plans generally cost more to heat and cool than homes that are more compartmentalized with separated areas.
In these homes, it's often possible to shut vents or doors when the rooms aren't in use and don't require heating or cooling. Of course, there's more to utility costs than just energy. How much are utilities in non-energy areas? Consider the following ways to save on energy costs:.
Knowing average household utility costs can help you reduce your use of energy and save money. Of course, there are other factors that go into home ownership and maintenance. Learn about the cost of homeowners insurance and how you can reduce your premium with Nationwide discounts on home insurance. Agents Financial professionals Partners. Clipboard-flat Claims Envelopes-flat Pay a bill.
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