Need help on utility costs (Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Latrobe). (apartment, renting)

[ladygreenetea]

Hi everybody.

I know these are general things with lots of variables to take into account, but I'm trying to get a sense of how much water & sewer, natural gas, electricity, and trash removal would costs on average in the cities above. Residence will be at least a 2 possibly 3 bedroom apartment, duplex, or small house, preferably in an older home. No complexes. Relatively good about turning lights & appliances off, maybe 2 showers a day, three loads of laundry a week. Prefer hand-washing to a dishwasher etc. In the past (in TN), paid about $50 a month for water, sewer & trash, $75-130 for electric, and $6 to $300 a month for natural gas.

Thanks for your help!!

[Tinare]

Originally Posted by ladygreenetea

Hi everybody.

I know these are general things with lots of variables to take into account, but I'm trying to get a sense of how much water & sewer, natural gas, electricity, and trash removal would costs on average in the cities above. Residence will be at least a 2 possibly 3 bedroom apartment, duplex, or small house, preferably in an older home. No complexes. Relatively good about turning lights & appliances off, maybe 2 showers a day, three loads of laundry a week. Prefer hand-washing to a dishwasher etc. In the past (in TN), paid about $50 a month for water, sewer & trash, $75-130 for electric, and $6 to $300 a month for natural gas.

Thanks for your help!!

I live in the City of Pittsburgh and my utilities are probably just slightly lower than what you show. My water/sewer bill is no more than $35 per month. Now, I'm single so it might be higher with an additional person in the house. Within the City, trash is included in the local taxes. When I lived in a borough just outside of the city limits I paid $10/month for trash. Trash will depend on the local municipality. Some cover it in local taxes, some require you pay for that service. My electric tends to run about $35-$150 (central air), and my highest gas bill this winter (which was a very, very cold winter) was about $280ish (going from memory). I live in a small 3 bedroom house that was built in 1920. It's been upgraded in windows and insulation, but there are still some old house drafts so it's not totally efficient. My summer gas bill is generally under $20 since I only have a gas water tank and stove. I would think that figuring what you have been paying in utilities will put you in the right ballpark for your budget in this area as well.

[Hopes]

The best way to guage the utilities is to get the unit price and compare it to the unit price you pay now.

The unit of measure for natural gas is an MCF. Equitable Gas's MCF rate is $13.862. http://www.equitablegas.com/billing/rates.aspx?f=res

I'm not sure what areas are served by Equitable. The northern suburbs certain are. You'll need to call municipal offices for whatever areas you're interested in owning/renting and ask which utility companies serve those areas.

Check with your current gas company and find out the MCF rate. That way you'll know if gas is higher or lower here. Other factors to consider are size of house and climate. If you're moving into a larger house, your bill will be higher (unless you're coming from an area with unregulated utilities and the rate is super high). If you're coming from a warmer climate, then your bill will be higher here (again unless your current area has super high rates.)

One other way is to call the utility company with the address of the residence you are planning to stay. The utility company will give you the past history. This can be accurate or not depending on if the residence has been vacant for the past year or the owners kept their heat super high and ran their air conditioning all summer. Again, your personal usage is what counts, not what other people's usage is.

People can give you their opinions, but you really need to do your own research and do the math yourself. That's the only way you'll have a fairly accurate idea of utility rates here.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Tinare

(which was a very, very cold winter)

I don't think it was a cold winter. We've had much colder. I didn't wear a coat half the time.

[Tinare]

Originally Posted by Hopes

I don't think it was a cold winter. We've had much colder. I didn't wear a coat half the time.

How very nice for you.

[ladygreenetea]

Tinare,

Thanks for the info. It was just what I was looking for! I know utility costs are very variable and very much based on personal usage but I'm just trying to get some ball-park figures. My husband and I are currently staying with his parents in Latrobe after moving here from Tennessee last fall. We'll be striking out on our own here (THANK GOD) this fall and I'm trying to get a rough estimate of what our expenses will be. Glad to see they're not TOO much higher than what I anticipated, though I know the heating bill is going to be a whopper (compared with the VERY MILD southern winter, anyway).

And I agree. I thought it was very cold this past winter as well, but that could be because I've lived down south for the past 8 years!!!

[ladygreenetea]

Hopes-

Thank you kindly for the info. That certainly seems to be a very thorough way to estimate the potential costs. As I am not certain exactly where we'll be residing at the moment, I won't be able to utilize your suggestions just yet but when I have a residence in mind, I'll know exactly what to do!! Thanks!!

[Tinare]

Originally Posted by ladygreenetea

And I agree. I thought it was very cold this past winter as well, but that could be because I've lived down south for the past 8 years!!!

Hey, I've only lived here 34 of my 44 years, and those 10 years were spent in a colder climate, so what do I know. I never said it was the coldest ever, just that it was very, very cold. Longest period of sustained cold that I remember in a while. Certainly in the past five years. For Thanksgiving 2006 and 2007 we were out on my deck in the afternoon. Not this year. I turned on my heat in October, something I fight doing. I broke out the longjohns that I haven't worn in at least 5 years to wait for the bus on numerous mornings in January and February due to single digit temps, and at least one below zero day. Temperature, not windchill. I remember this vividly not just because my butt has grown since the last time I wore the longjohns -- hence they split one morning -- but because we (the bus stop crew) joked about "how DO you measure less than zero" and "wow, it really doesn't feel different from yesterday when it was 9..." My neighbor who waits for the bus with me complained of the number of school delays that her daughters had this year due to excessive cold. My kitchen drain froze for the first time ever, and not just once, but three times. But I'm just wrong apparently. Must be a wimp. I should try to not to wear a coat more often. This will make me a true Pittsburgher and toughen me up. Of course, I only walked to school uphill one way, so maybe I'm just soft from a young age. I vow to go home tonight and tell kids to get off my lawn just to make up for it.

Anyhow, OF COURSE your results will vary. But, in my very, very humble (and obviously frequently wrong) opinion (so take it for what it's worth), what you noted, for the information you provided, seems to me to be a reasonable starting point for budgeting purposes. Especially since your range was pretty broad. Just as a starting point, ball-park figure, etc. Unless you keep the heat at 80, a/c at 60, move into a 4,000 square foot house, and get a pool, then forget I said anything...

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Tinare

My kitchen drain froze for the first time ever, and not just once, but three times. But I'm just wrong apparently. Must be a wimp. I should try to not to wear a coat more often. This will make me a true Pittsburgher and toughen me up. Of course, I only walked to school uphill one way, so maybe I'm just soft from a young age. I vow to go home tonight and tell kids to get off my lawn just to make up for it.

You're being overly sensitive. Perhaps experiences vary according to location. I have one bathroom that repeatedly freezes every winter, but this year it didn't freeze. Go figure. I didn't call you a wimp. It's a shame you get defensive over such simple things as a difference of opinion on weather.

[Tinare]

Originally Posted by Hopes

You're being overly sensitive. Perhaps experiences vary according to location. I have one bathroom that repeatedly freezes every winter, but this year it didn't freeze. Go figure. I didn't call you a wimp. It's a shame you get defensive over such simple things as a difference of opinion on weather.

Actually just having a good laugh -- tongue firmly planted in cheek. And now it continues... Thanks for that!