The cost of utilities in the US
'03.11.2017'
Source: Usa-info
When planning a monthly budget for living in the United States, utilities are an important component. Of course, the most costly item of expenditure is the payment for rental housing, but the question of the cost of utilities is also an important component of monthly expenditure planning.
We will focus on basic utilities.
Electricity
Due to the fact that the US energy market is represented by several electricity suppliers, there is no single fixed rate in the country. The following is a list of the average cost of 1 kW / h in various states:
- Connecticut - 0,22 $
- New Hampshire - 0,19 $
- New York - 0,19 $
- Pennsylvania - 0,14 $
- Indiana - 0,11 $
- Minnesota - 0,13 $
- Nebraska - 0,12 $
- Florida - 0,12 $
- Texas - 0,12 $
- California - 0,17 $
- Washington - 0,09 $
- Hawaii - 0,3 $
Data as of June 2015. Source - Official website of independent statistics and analysis of the US energy industry.
As can be seen from the above list, the cost of electricity in the United States can range from 9 cents per kilowatt in Washington state to 30 cents in Hawaii.
The average cost per kilowatt in the US is - 0,13 $.
Therefore, if you use 300 kilowatts per month, the monthly fee will be about 40 $.
Water
On average, Americans use about 3 thousands of gallons of water per person per month, which equates to 11 cubic meters. The average cost of 1000 US gallons of water is 2,20 $. 1 cubic meter = 264,2 gallons. Consequently, the average cost per cubic meter of water in the United States is about 0,55 $, depending on the state. The average person uses 10 cubic meters of water per month, so the monthly water charge per person is 5-6 $.
Отопление
The cost of heating homes in the United States can vary greatly. First of all, it depends on the state. In some homes in the southern states, heating is generally not provided. In the central states, heating fees will cost much less than in the northern states.
Often in apartment buildings, central heating is used, without meters. In this case, the cost of heating will be included in the rental price. Some houses have gas boilers. The use of the boiler in the cold winter will cost on average within 100 $ per month. Of course, the cost may vary depending on the size of the apartment, the thickness of the walls of the house and the efficiency of the boiler itself.
Household gas (for cooking)
On average, the monthly payment for natural gas used for cooking costs Americans in 10-15 $ per month. Domestic gas, like water, is a minor expense for utility services in the United States.
Internet
Internet in the USA is considered to be a rather expensive service, the average monthly fee is 45 $. But do not forget about Wireless, with the help of a router, you can save a lot by dividing the monthly fee into 2-3 apartments.
Additional monthly expenses include: cable TV (from 20 $ per month), home insurance, car parking, garbage collection (if the cost is not included in the rent), laundry in the laundry (15 $ per month).
To summarize, the main costly utility bills in the United States are heating, electricity and the Internet. Water and household gas in the US are inexpensive, so they do not significantly affect the total amount of utilities. On average, the cost of utilities in the United States in a one / two-bedroom apartment costs about 160-200 $.
