Utilities cost for 2 or 3 bedroom house (Schaumburg, Mundelein: appliances, water heater, to buy)

[ibookworm]

My wife and I are hoping to buy a house soon. We're having a hard time calculating what we'd pay in utilities, though. Can someone give me a basic, itemized idea of your monthly utilities cost for a little two or three bedroom house?

We just need some idea so we know what we can afford for a mortgage.

EDIT: In case it matters, we'd be looking around McHenry, Fox Lake, Round Lake, Grayslake (so many lakes!), Libertyville, Mundelein . . . all that area. But even if you're out of the area, some idea would still be helpful.

[linicx]

Trying to determine cost of utilities is futile. There are too many variables: insulation, aic vents, age of furnace and heat loss, single pane windows, dishwasher, laundry and more I have a 7 room home. The utilities when I moved in averaged $300/ mo. I reinsulated the attic, and replaced 18 single pane/single hung windows with double pane/single hung windows. It reduced my utility bill an average of $200/month.

[holl1ngsworth]

Probably more than $100/mo but less than $500/mo.

The variables are really going to prevent you from figuring out the exact figure ahead of time. In addition to the equipment-related variables listed above, your lifestyle and personal preferences concerning heat, A/C, water use, etc. will also heavily impact your monthly bill.

[awestover89]

I'll give you our numbers, this is for Cook County around Schaumburg, 3 bedroom house, 4 people, 1800 sqft. Gas heat and stove.

Water: Around $40-45 per month (paid every two months, around $90 each bill)
Trash: Around $23 per month (paid every three months $67 each bill)
Gas: Summer: About $20-30 per month Winter: Last winter it was all over the place, ranging from $30-$120 per month
Electricity: Summer: Usually around $90, $80-100 range. Winter: $50-$70 on average last winter

Grand Total: $150-$300 per month, depending on season and usage. Usually close to $200-250ish a month

I'd take our winter numbers with a grain of salt, we had just bought the house a few months before last winter, and we had extra family living with us so the cost was probably higher than normal. This is also an older house (Built in the late 1960s) and most of the appliances are old. We've recently replaced the fridge with an energy star model, replaced a lot of old light bulbs, and replaced one old toilet with a newer model.

[ibookworm]

Awesome! That's a big help.

[linicx]

Water and maintaining hot water is a large expense. A 3gal flush toilet, an on-demand water heater, a 17 gal clothes washer with Energy Star dryer, and changing to CFL bulbs can reduce electric consumption more than most imagine. And you won't run out of hot water until the unit stops working. . I have a gas furnace and clothes dryer.