Apartment utilities question (Elizabeth, Cranford: hardwood floors, apartments, house)

[spclagnt27]

Ok, I know I'm not a regular, but I can sure use some help, so bear with me I'm originally from NEPA, but moved to NJ about 2.5 years ago. I got engaged here in July and my fiance and I moved to an apartment in Cranford in September 2008. The apartment was a private apartment(not a complex) and was really nice-2 bedrooms, hardwood floors, parking, washer/dryer, close to the parkway, etc. I've always worked in law enforcement(I currently work for the feds), so I wanted to finally live someplace a little nicer, so Cranford seemed great to us. We had to pay for heat, hot water, and electric-no biggie I thought. It's us in a bigger apartment on the second floor(but really not that big), next to a little studio, and then below us are two local stores. Our first few utility bills(gas and electric) weren't super outrageous-the place certainly isn't huge, after all. Then bam!-our gas bill for October/November comes and it's almost $300 from $60(we have gas heat that supposedly the landlord "just" put in). Ok, I'm cheap about stuff(my dad growing up kept the heat at 62-and no higher) and we were barely putting the heat above 64......and after seeing that high bill we automatically put the heat at 60-and no higher...EVER....as I sit here I'm in two sweatshirts and a long sleeve tee. We called the gas company and they say to wait another month to see if the next bill is higher-and if so they will launch an investigation. So this month I open the bill and it's $330!!! This is after having the heat set at 60 and never touching it and putting that special plastic on all our windows and never using any extra hot water, etc. We start to think something might be going on regarding the furnace, and the gas company is sending someone this Tuesday to invesigate....everything is down in the basement, which we have no access to right now. The kicker is we asked about the guy that lives in the studio on the top floor right next to us what his gas bill is and he goes........$12. $12! Ummm, wtf? Ours was $340 for the heat at 60 and barely any hot water used because I got so scared to use it for more than a few seconds. Also, when my fiance called the electric company to complain and set up the investigation, they said our address only had two meters listed(us and the studio apt. guy), but that the store underneanth us, according to Elizabethtown Gas, has no meter(we can't get in because it's locked) . Ummm, something very weird is going on-something illegal (considering the store belongs to the landlord's son). What can we do if we find out on Tuesday that we have been paying for other people's gas (and maybe electric)?. I've always lived in apartments that had heat included, but $340 seems absurd according to everyone I've asked, especially because we keep it all 60! My friend in the area keeps it at 68 or above and pays nowhere near that. We put a thermometer in the one closet and it actually registered 47 degrees, so obviously, there are some insulation problems too. We have the gas company coming this week, plus we told the landlord, but they don't seem to give a crap-probably because we are getting the shaft. I just want to know some possible thoughts, I'd really appreciate it!

[*Capo*]

Same problem happened to me at my apartment. The bill for November was $256 and we never had the heat on for more than a few hours every few days. The bill for December was $223 after we cut back to damn near never turning the heat on the entire month. I am scared to see what January's bill is because we had to run it for a couple hours every day this week. Our landlord lives on the top floor (2nd floor), we live on the first floor, and the basement is rented out to some friends of theirs. When I called PSEG in the summer due to a high bill (hardly ran our A/C and it seemed excessively high), they said we had 4 meter boxes at this residence, 2 electric and 2 gas. When I apporached the landlord she claims that the people in the basement are using electric and gas off of her (the landlord's) boxes. Keep in mind the meter boxes are down in the basement, too. I have no idea how to test this, and even if I find out we paid for someone else's usage, how do we go about proving it and how can I get money back in damages without investing a ton of time and frustration in court?

[exit82]

Yikes- can't really offer any help- but would love to hear the outcome of this- keep us posted!

obviously heat rises so the guy above you is benefiting from "your heat"- but by the same token- you should benefit form the "stores heat" below you- that discrepancy is ridiculous-after reading this I just went upstairs and turned off the gas fireplace- our house (the heated part) is probably 1500 sq ft and we keep it at 65-and have several sections closed off and unheated -our last bill a few days ago was $180.00.

[Jerseyt719]

OP - that is outrageously high for an apartment. You are paying for someone else's heat in my opinion.

I heat a whole house for that, actually less. That's crazy and when they come to investigate, you follow them around while they do. You have every right to find out what's going on.

Please please keep us posted and best of luck.