An average electric bill for a 1 bedroom apartment is $60 per month (30kWh per day) for someone living alone and $66 per month for two residents. These bills depend on your electricity usage, the country or city your apartment is located in, the seasons of the year, and the electricity rate of your energy provider.
When it comes to buying a house or renting one, the first thing to look at is your budget. You also need to determine if you will be staying alone or with a roommate. As a single person that wants to cut costs, you can rent a studio apartment or a 1 bedroom apartment.
You can also have roommates with you in the apartments. Whichever apartment you live in, you also must be prepared to pay utility bills which include bills for electricity, gas, water, sewer, garbage, and broadband. These bills have been of concern to too many residents as the bills are getting high.
A 1 bedroom apartment is an apartment that has a bedroom and a living area. In the living area, if there’s space, you can have a dining area. You’ll also have a bathroom. Many people opt for the 1 bedroom apartment because of its privacy coupled with the fact that it is a cozy place to live especially with a roommate.
Do 1 Bedroom Apartment Pay Electric Bill?
Yes, 1 bedroom apartment pays electric bills. However, the only reason why a one-bedroom apartment won’t pay an electric bill is if you don’t use electricity.
Generally, the landlord of the house pays for the installation of electricity and water in your apartment ( whether it is an “all bills paid” or separate property). You will have to just pay the connection fee before you start making use of the utilities.
The only reason why you won’t pay the electric bill is if you don’t use electricity. Utility bills are meant to be paid by the occupants of the room unless you agree on the lease agreement to allow the landlords to pay the utility bills. Not all utility bills will be paid by your landlord.
Many times, you’ll take the electricity, gas, and internet bill while the landlord takes the water, sewer, and garbage.
Your use of utilities will be limited if it’s an “all bills paid” apartment. But if you don’t agree to allow the landlords to pay, you have to look for a house that is a separate property from the landlord’s house.
What is the Average Electric Bill for a 1 Bedroom Apartment?
The average electric bill for 1 bedroom apartment if used 30kWh per day will be $60 while for two residents, your bill should be $66. If you use more 30kWh per day, be ready to pay more than $60 per month.
Also, depending on the electricity rate of various energy providers in each state and the seasons of the year, your bill might be as low as $30 or higher than $150 per month if you don’t minimize your electricity usage.
If your electricity is metered, you’ll know the number of kilowatts you use per day and monthly. It will be easier for you to calculate your electric bill. You’ll multiply the total kilowatts you used in the month by the electricity rate of your energy provider.
But if your electricity is unmetered, you will only get your bill at the end of the month. You will be charged based on the size of the house.
Can I Refuse to Pay Electric Bill for my 1 Bedroom Apartment?
Depending on the lease agreement you have with your landlord, you can’t refuse to pay for your electric bill to avoid breaching the lease agreement you signed.
Also, if you refuse to pay your electric bills, the debt will start piling up. Prior to when this article was originally published, I had refused to pay my electric bills until they pilled up. Now, the money is too much but I must pay it since it’s something I must do.
What Happens if I Refuse to Pay Electric Bill for my 1 Bedroom Apartment?
If you refuse to pay your electric bills, the bill will pill up until it becomes too much for you to pay. So the best thing is to pay your electric bill monthly to avoid pilling up.
In the UK, If you are owing to an electric bill for a long time, you have to contact your energy provider for a payment plan. You’ll have to make a payment arrangement with them.
If you can’t make one, they’ll offer to install a prepayment meter which you can disagree with if you have a health condition that can’t make you read the meter.
If you refuse any of these options and still don’t pay, your electricity will be disconnected after you’ve been given a seven days notice. The same thing goes with electricity bills for a 3 bedroom apartment.
If you are a pensioner living alone or have a child below five years staying with you, your electricity won’t be cut off between October and March.
Cutting off your energy supply is dependent on your energy provider. There are different plans that are provided by your energy provider if you are not financially stable or you have health issues. You can get information about those plans.
Can I Opt-out of Paying Electric Bills for my 1 Bedroom Apartment?
You can opt out of paying electric bills or better still get a house where the electricity bill is part of the monthly rent. This is even better because you won’t be disturbed about utility bills at the end of the month. All you’ll just be concerned about is the monthly rent. If you won’t be paying for the electricity bill, your monthly rent will be higher than the person who pays the utility bill.
How to Opt-out of Paying Electric Bills for my 1 Bedroom Apartment?
- To opt-out of paying electric bills for your 1 bedroom apartment, contact your landlord to disconnect the light for your apartment because that is the only way you can opt-out of paying the electric bill as you cannot pay for the light you did not use.
- Also, you can agree with your landlord to make the payments while you pay an increased monthly rent. You will have to sign a lease agreement to this.
Final Thoughts
Many times, we wish we are not paying utility bills due to the increase in the rates. Rather than opting out the wrong way( that is by owing), you can come into agreement with the landlord to pay higher monthly rent. But be sure you sign a lease agreement for that. When you do this, you’ll be happy at the end of the month because you won’t be having any business with your energy provider.
The major disadvantage of that is that the rate at which you use utilities will reduce and you wouldn’t know if you are been cheated since you don’t have any idea of how much you are paying for the electric bills.
