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She lives in Philly. While it did get cold last month, I can't believe it got $200 cold for a teeny tiny apartment kept at 62 degrees.
I live in Philly too. And her gas bill, sadly, sounds just about right. Remember we've been having record number of very, very cold days. Plus she lives in a first floor, heat rises, so she is using more than if she were living in an upstairs apartment.
I also don't think anybody is going to pick up the bill for her, unless she gets some kind of government assistance. Another thing to keep in mind, is that she most likely has a gas oven, and a gas water heater. Combine all three, and $50 a week for hot-food, hot-water, and a warm place to live doesn't sound bad at all.
I live in Philly too. And her gas bill, sadly, sounds just about right. Remember we've been having record number of very, very cold days. Plus she lives in a first floor, heat rises, so she is using more than if she were living in an upstairs apartment.
I also don't think anybody is going to pick up the bill for her, unless she gets some kind of government assistance. Another thing to keep in mind, is that she most likely has a gas oven, and a gas water heater. Combine all three, and $50 a week for hot-food, hot-water, and a warm place to live doesn't sound bad at all.
Really? My other colleagues who live in the city and own houses don't have gas bills that high. I don't think she expects anyone else to pay the bill, but I think she wants the landlord to acknowledge the problem and at least come look at the possibility that the furnace isn't working properly.
BTW, do you LLs make your tenants sign up for service contracts with the gas/power company? Apparently she had to do that when she moved it. The last place I rented the LL had that contract and it seemed like a total waste of money: every time there was a problem the company came out and said whatever was wrong wasn't part of the service contract!
Really? My other colleagues who live in the city and own houses don't have gas bills that high. I don't think she expects anyone else to pay the bill, but I think she wants the landlord to acknowledge the problem and at least come look at the possibility that the furnace isn't working properly.
There could be a number of issues as to why her home is not energy efficient. I'm not sure why are you hard pressed to find fault with the landlord, or have them acknowledge any problems or take responsibility. Especially if the house is old, or the windows are old, again, a $200 gas bill for the type of weather we are having, and keeping a 1st floor warm seems about par for the course. Maybe your friend likes to take long hot showers, maybe they cook a lot. Again, you are focusing on heating, when most likely they also have a gas stove and a gas hot water tank. What are her gas bills for the summer?
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Originally Posted by campion
BTW, do you LLs make your tenants sign up for service contracts with the gas/power company? Apparently she had to do that when she moved it. The last place I rented the LL had that contract and it seemed like a total waste of money: every time there was a problem the company came out and said whatever was wrong wasn't part of the service contract!
I do not make my tenants worry with service contracts, all that stuff is built into the cost of rent, and I take care of it properly. I would not trust a tenant to take proper care of HVAC systems for me. I'm responsible for the furnace working. The only thing that I do with PGW is be part of the "Landlord Cooperation Program" which means if the tenant stops paying for gas, I make the property available for the gas-company to come in and shut it down.
There could be a number of issues as to why her home is not energy efficient. I'm not sure why are you hard pressed to find fault with the landlord, or have them acknowledge any problems or take responsibility. Especially if the house is old, or the windows are old, again, a $200 gas bill for the type of weather we are having, and keeping a 1st floor warm seems about par for the course. Maybe your friend likes to take long hot showers, maybe they cook a lot. Again, you are focusing on heating, when most likely they also have a gas stove and a gas hot water tank. What are her gas bills for the summer?
She doesn't cook, period (you'll have to trust me on this, the girl lives on hot air popcorn and salad ). She's so freaked out about the bill that she's certainly not taking long, hot showers. Her maintenance man, who she finally got a hold of today, said the bill is too high. My colleagues with (old) houses who live in the city don't pay that much to heat an entire two-story house. I don't see why the landlord (or rather, property management company) wouldn't at least consider the possibility that there's a problem with the furnace or the ducting considering the efforts she's taken to minimize the problem (as I said, plastic over the windows, programmed thermostat to very low temperature, etc). She knows she's responsible for the bill, and is of course paying it and will continue to.
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I do not make my tenants worry with service contracts, all that stuff is built into the cost of rent, and I take care of it properly. I would not trust a tenant to take proper care of HVAC systems for me. I'm responsible for the furnace working. The only thing that I do with PGW is be part of the "Landlord Cooperation Program" which means if the tenant stops paying for gas, I make the property available for the gas-company to come in and shut it down.
See, that seems reasonable to me. It's the LL's property, therefore it ought to be the LL with the service contract. She should be required to have renter's insurance for any damage she might cause, but as you say, there's no reason for a tenant to be responsible for maintaining HVAC systems, especially in a house converted into apartments.
I'm really surprised no one has mentioned this yet.
Does she have a filter on the furnace system? If so, is she supposed to change/wash that filter? If so, has she done that recently? Even if she isn't expected to, is it located somewhere she could check it and see how dirty it is?
A dirty filter makes the system work harder, which makes it cost more.
In my area, tenants who rent houses/plexes are typically expected to change their own furnace filters. Tenants in apartments typically aren't.
I'm really surprised no one has mentioned this yet.
Does she have a filter on the furnace system? If so, is she supposed to change/wash that filter? If so, has she done that recently? Even if she isn't expected to, is it located somewhere she could check it and see how dirty it is?
A dirty filter makes the system work harder, which makes it cost more.
In my area, tenants who rent houses/plexes are typically expected to change their own furnace filters. Tenants in apartments typically aren't.
Thanks - I'll ask her if someone's checked. Her dad visited a month ago and was looking around down there, so I imagine he did, but I don't know for sure. I also don't know if she's in charge of doing that since it's an apartment (it's my understanding there are furnaces in the basement for each apartment, though that seems odd to me).
One of my employees is dealing with a difficult situation in her rental apartment right now. She's got a 450 sqft one-bedroom apartment on the first floor of a city townhouse, and her gas bill is $200 a month. She's done all the obvious things: sealing up windows, programming the thermostat (doesn't keep it above 62 when she's there), etc. Yet the bill is still ridiculously high.
She talked to her landlord, who told her to contact the gas company. The gas company says that if it's not a gas leak, it's not their problem. To me, there has got to be something wrong with the system if a 450 sqft place is getting a $200 gas bill.
Personally, I think it's now the responsibility of the landlord to get a repairman into the building to figure out what's going on. What do you think?
I think it's weird that this employee is involving her boss in her gas bill problem. Have you actually seen the bill? Are you sure she's not just out for a raise or something?
I'm just picturing myself in one corner of your office, actually working, while this other "employee" (I'm assuming young) is flitting around getting everyone involved in her gas bill problem. Is she getting any work done?
You don't know what she's doing in that apartment, right? For all you know, she's got other people staying there, or who knows what, or if it's even for real. I mean, nice of you to care so much about your employees, but I'll bet she's getting on your other employees' nerves with the whole gas bill drama.
Tell her to call her dad (on her own time), and to get back to work.
I think it's weird that this employee is involving her boss in her gas bill problem. Have you actually seen the bill? Are you sure she's not just out for a raise or something?
I'm just picturing myself in one corner of your office, actually working, while this other "employee" (I'm assuming young) is flitting around getting everyone involved in her gas bill problem. Is she getting any work done?
You don't know what she's doing in that apartment, right? For all you know, she's got other people staying there, or who knows what, or if it's even for real. I mean, nice of you to care so much about your employees, but I'll bet she's getting on your other employees' nerves with the whole gas bill drama.
Tell her to call her dad (on her own time), and to get back to work.
I won't justify this with any response other than that you must have been a real joy at company picnics. . .
$200 doesn't sound all that crazy for a first floor apartment. Even setting the thermostat at 62..if there is inadequate insulation in the basement ceiling, the furnace will keep running to maintain temp with as cold as it's been.
And I noticed the cost of natural gas was up on my last bill.
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). She's so freaked out about the bill that she's certainly not taking long, hot showers. Her maintenance man, who she finally got a hold of today, said the bill is too high. My colleagues with (old) houses who live in the city don't pay that much to heat an entire two-story house. I don't see why the landlord (or rather, property management company) wouldn't at least consider the possibility that there's a problem with the furnace or the ducting considering the efforts she's taken to minimize the problem (as I said, plastic over the windows, programmed thermostat to very low temperature, etc). She knows she's responsible for the bill, and is of course paying it and will continue to. 
