[aimlyss1]

Hello everyone!

I will be moving to the Hartford area soon and am trying to figure out my budget. Can you give me an idea of what the utility costs will be both in an apartment and a "normal" home, say 1200 sq ft-ish? I'm trying to get an idea of how much rent I afford to pay. Currently where I am (in a different state) I pay a fairly low rent but my electric bill is $500, gas (heat/hot water/stove) is $200, and water/sewer run around $100. I am fervently hoping the utility costs won't be as high so that will offset the increase in rent I'm assuming I'll see.

Thank you all!!

[SeaDoo342]

Do NOT get a place with electric heat. You will go broke!

[functionofx]

Cost is about 22 cents per Kwh in Connecticut, delivery is broken apart from energy. Often delivery costs more. The perplexing and non-readable bill you will get includes many charges mandated by government.

[JayCT]

Connecticut has some of the highest electric rates in the country which is why Seadoo is recommending to stay away from electric heat. $500 a month is high for an electric bill. Is that every month. I know here you can get that high or higher during the winter months with electric heat. Look for a place with gas heat if possible. Also ask to see previous electric bills before signing a lease. Jay

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Connecticut has some of the highest electric rates in the country which is why Seadoo is recommending to stay away from electric heat. $500 a month is high for an electric bill. Is that every month. I know here you can get that high or higher during the winter months with electric heat. Look for a place with gas heat if possible. Also ask to see previous electric bills before signing a lease. Jay

This is good advice. CT's KWh rate is the highest in the nation, so you definitely want to avoid electric heat. Gas is preferable, but oil is alright.

[gmdealerguy]

Originally Posted by SeaDoo342

Do NOT get a place with electric heat. You will go broke!

That's not exactly true though......I have a 3 floor condo, 1536 sq feet with electric heat and central air. My heating bill in winter (even those last few brutal sub zero ones) never got above $350.00 for those colder months. In summer my bill is usually around $150.00 tops. Summer temps in home are usually 65-70
Winter is the same degree usually. I think it depends on many different factors.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

This is good advice. CT's KWh rate is the highest in the nation, so you definitely want to avoid electric heat. Gas is preferable, but oil is alright.

CT is high but not the highest in the nation. Try Hawaii. Most of New England has a problem because of inadequate natural gas pipeline capacity and price gouging for pipeline use. The coal plants are just about gone. Anywhere near fracking tends to have really cheap natural gas and really cheap natural gas-fired electrical generation.

Electric baseboard heat will slaughter you. One of the new heat pumps isn't so bad. It's competitive with oil heat when oil is $100 per barrel. At today's $47 per barrel, not so much. Mitsubishi has heat pumps that are efficient down to 0F and still work in subzero. In ultra-efficient new construction, it's not bad way to go since one HVAC system both heats and cools your house.

[grayTJY6]

Keep in mind too that a home bill might be higher if you have no history of paying a bill to that utility company in this state. For example, when I moved here from another state, my first year of home oil bills was over $300 a month for a 1400 sq ft ranch. A year later, it was adjusted to much lower based on our usage for that previous year.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

CT is high but not the highest in the nation. Try Hawaii. Most of New England has a problem because of inadequate natural gas pipeline capacity and price gouging for pipeline use. The coal plants are just about gone. Anywhere near fracking tends to have really cheap natural gas and really cheap natural gas-fired electrical generation.

Electric baseboard heat will slaughter you. One of the new heat pumps isn't so bad. It's competitive with oil heat when oil is $100 per barrel. At today's $47 per barrel, not so much. Mitsubishi has heat pumps that are efficient down to 0F and still work in subzero. In ultra-efficient new construction, it's not bad way to go since one HVAC system both heats and cools your house.

Connecticut has the highest rates in the continental US.

[LMPA]

https://www.eia.gov/electricity/mont...m?t=epmt_5_6_a

This article might help in comparing states.