Questions tagged [utilities]
The utilities tag has no usage guidance.
31
questions
16
votes
7
answers
6k
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Switching ISP to save money good idea?
My ISP (Spectrum) recently raised the price of my monthly internet bill to $70+. There are competitors in my area going for the $50 range with equal or faster speed. Is it possible to "haggle&...
- 2,003
2
votes
2
answers
1k
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If it turns out that using heat is causing a large usage of electricity, does the landlord pay at least part of my electric bill?
I'm currently renting a 1 Bd. apartment about 1000 sq. ft. where the "heat is included". The electric bill was extremely high one month (used 900 kWh). I found out that the community is run ...
- 121
21
votes
3
answers
5k
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Automatic payment *after* payment due date: why?
My water bill has an option for automatic payment, which I would like to enroll in (as it would be convenient), but something it mentions about the dates gives me pause: on the page to set it up, it ...
- 319
20
votes
5
answers
11k
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Is there any risk in sending copies of my ID and utility bills to a company that cold-called me?
I'm shopping around for solar and a company called me.
I'm a bit suspicious, due to some what I think might be red flags:
The first caller could answer few questions, spoke with a heavy accent, could ...
- 2,649
1
vote
4
answers
496
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How to save money on bathroom overheads?
This question got me thinking, I spend around $3 per week on toilet paper for the bathroom.
If I could half that, I could save ((3*52) *60 years of life left) = $9,360 over the rest of the course of ...
- 3,645
2
votes
1
answer
288
views
What happens if I don't pay utility bill even after repeated customer service interaction to stop the service?
It's a slightly long story. I live in an apartment building in MN (US). There was a mistake when I moved in and eventually the gas utility for the building remained in my name. Usually it is supposed ...
- 21
4
votes
1
answer
365
views
14 year old charge on utility bill
I recently bought a house and signed up for utilities. I then go to sign up for automatic payments on their webpage, and it says I owe over $400 from when my account was last active in 2004.
I know ...
- 216
2
votes
1
answer
86
views
Is there an affordable means to completely cut the cord from cable provider? [closed]
I'm not sure if there's a more appropriate SE for this, please migrate if so.
Currently, I am forced to pay for Comcast as my Internet Service Provider (ISP) because there aren't really any other ...
- 518
2
votes
1
answer
481
views
Am I paying taxes on my electricity unnecessarily?
I live in Tallahassee, Florida where everyone gets their electricity from Talgov. I recently looked at my utility bills and realized my electricity charges were about 10-11% larger each month than I ...
- 661
7
votes
3
answers
10k
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What happens if I don't pay a utility bill on a house I've already sold?
I recently sold a property I used to own, and was told that the new owner had transferred all the utilities. I followed up on all but one (which were transferred), however it seems that the water ...
- 245
-1
votes
1
answer
699
views
Difference between a returned versus declined transaction?
Is there a legal or industry standard for the definition of a "returned" transaction?
I recently had my Empire District electric bill auto-payment declined, and the electric company charged me a $20 "...
1
vote
0
answers
98
views
Selling utilities to an LLC
So, first I'd like to say the LLC has been setup, and no we have not "finished" all aspects of the business. Meaning, it's legal but we're ironing out a lot of loose ends, and will be consulting a tax ...
- 61
3
votes
3
answers
981
views
Paying off someone else's utility: whose credit score improves?
Person A signed a utility contract (say, electricity).
Person B set up a direct debit to pay for that.
In the UK, whose credit score improves in that situation?
Is there some way to have both ...
0
votes
3
answers
228
views
Who is responsible for paying?
Who is responsible for paying utility bill, house owner or whoever's name on the utility bill?
Does the house insurance policy holder have to be the owner?
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
162
views
Collection agency and debtor failing to provide written bill/payment plan
Years back I lived in an apartment in NYC and ConEd was sending me electric bills of 300-400/month. I disputed it at the time, saying it was impossible, and they basically said, "OK, we'll ...
- 1,264
2
votes
0
answers
570
views
Maintenance costs for home geothermal heating & cooling / ground source heat pump systems?
My realtor showed me a brand new house that has a geothermal cooling and heating system built in. I did some online research and here is the link to that builder's geothermal system explanation.
...
- 21
0
votes
1
answer
441
views
Defaulting on early termination charges out of a phone contract
I was wondering what the consequences are:
is your credit history ruined, or merely dinged? Is the blow recoverable?
Can the carrier try to get the money back in court? I assume you'll wind up ...
- 569
6
votes
5
answers
3k
views
How to divide up utilities when one tenant's rent includes utilities, but others' don't?
This is an extension of my question asked here.
Four roommates are living together. Two are co-tenants, who hold the lease, and the other two sublet from the co-tenants and pay rent and utilities to ...
- 1,279
2
votes
0
answers
188
views
How to divide up utilities amongst tenants? [duplicate]
Let's say I have two tenants who share my apartment with me. It is agreed that utilities shall be divided equally amongst us. However, one tenant has, as part of his lease, a stipulation that all ...
- 1,279
4
votes
1
answer
529
views
Rural home purchase contingent on Internet access availability?
I'm considering a move to a rural area where there are only two internet service providers. The only information we can get as to the availability and performance is from the home owners who are ...
- 317
1
vote
3
answers
279
views
Saving money on the electric bill: What are some worthwhile ways to reduce consumption & costs?
What are some worthwhile ways to reduce household electrical power consumption & costs? Here are some of the actions I've taken so far:
AC - turned thermostat to uncomfortable level
Electric ...
- 2,630
1
vote
2
answers
721
views
Are the guaranteed returns of regulated utilities really what they sound like?
In the last few days I've stumbled upon two-year-old editorials like this one and this one stating "as a regulated utility, publicly traded [PG&E] shareholders benefit from a guaranteed 11.35 ...
2
votes
3
answers
2k
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What are the pro's and con's of using real time electricity pricing?
I am considering enrolling in the ComEd (Illinois power provider) plan for real time electricity pricing. web site
What are the pro's and con's of such plans?
I would be really interested in ...
- 1,647
5
votes
5
answers
12k
views
Better to rent with or without utilities?
By the end of the year, I will be renting a small apartment with one other person and we will be splitting the costs. I am a college student so I've only lived either at home or in dorms.
In general, ...
- 153
2
votes
2
answers
239
views
Hedging against rising oil and gas prices for private households?
Inspired by this article Hedging Against Rising Heating Oil Prices using Heating Oil Futures, I wonder whether hedging against rising oil and gas prices makes sense for private households, too? If so, ...
- 121
4
votes
2
answers
958
views
I am moving to a new city. How do I plan and prepare - financially - for the move?
I am planning to move to either Maryland, near D.C., or Boston at the end of the school year for work. I have salary quotes for both jobs already, so I can plan around a specific income number and how ...
- 1,114
6
votes
3
answers
3k
views
How can I get my incompetent utility company to remove late payments on my credit report?
My FICO score dropped 100 points after my incompetent utility company posted false late payments. It had been 780 prior to the late payments.
I have a legitimate case but they are so bureaucratic and ...
- 1,141
8
votes
5
answers
229
views
How do I budget for heating & cooling?
I'm revisiting my budget and the amount I have slated for electricity was off by roughly 30 dollars or 50 percent. I live in an all electric apartment, no gas or fireplace. Here in Kansas we get cold ...
- 7,427
5
votes
1
answer
124
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Are you better off going with the BIG energy provider in town or a smaller competitor?
I live in Maryland and we have our energy delivered from BGE (Baltimore Gas & Electric). That means they manage and service the power lines and I have no choice in that matter. We do however, ...
- 153
6
votes
3
answers
2k
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How do "past due" utility bills affect credit rating?
I received a utility bill which is clearly in error. It claims that a previous payment is "past due", when the bill claiming this is dated before the due date on the supposedly past due payment it ...
- 161
7
votes
8
answers
8k
views
Is a fixed-price natural gas or electricity contract likely to save money?
Is a fixed-price natural gas or electricity contract likely to save money?
These types of contracts are often marketed to homeowners to save $$ on their utility bills. When would such a contract ...
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