How much are your utilities per week?

[althea]

I'm talking about the average rented flat in ChCh with no central heating, no dehumidifier, etc. Houses 4 people, each one spending evenings and nights in their own room. Each room has a separate heater. Broadband is telecom with 20gb monthly allowance.

Currently my main tenant says expenses are $600/month. I thought that was normal... until I had contacts informing me that theirs was around $70/month per person or less. And their houses were pretty much the same.

Should I ask to see the bill?

[althea]

I saw it... and holy crap it really is $600 a month. How the heck is ours so different?

[JandM]

Ask what providers the cheaper people are on, and what level of service, to make sure you're comparing like with like?

[M-Squared]

Sounds about right! See where you can cut corners

[Tia Maria]

We recently changed from using oil filled rads to a central heating system and our electricity bills dropped by a lot - they really do eat money!

Cheers

Tia

[ralf-nz]

If they leave the heating on over night, even if turned low, that just "eats" electricity.

Different orientation (sun wise) of a building also has its impact.

[althea]

Is it really possible to sleep without heating at night in a non central heated, single glazed flat??? I know I'd freeze...

[ralf-nz]

Is it really possible to sleep without heating at night in a non central heated, single glazed flat???

It depends on the orientation, location and layout of that flat / house.

However in the studio that I rented before family arrived and in the house we are now living in heatings were / are turned off during night. This applies also to those nights we recently experienced with frost.

[JandM]

Is it really possible to sleep without heating at night in a non central heated, single glazed flat??? I know I'd freeze...

It depends more on what you get used to, and how you go about things. When we rented a house in the Waitakeres in August, it took us back to how conditions were in most homes in the UK in our childhood, but there were some modern appliances which helped, once we knew what to do.

This was our routine, coached by Kiwi relatives.

The bed needs to be made up with several layers, under you and over you, to insulate you and keep your body-heat in. You can always push off a layer or two if you get too warm, then just pull them back over as necessary, but they need to be right there so you don't have to get out and go looking.

About half an hour to 40 minutes before going to bed, put on dehumidifier in bedroom, possibly heater as well depending on how cold it feels. Dry air doesn't feel as cold as damp air. Also put on electric blanket, or put hot water bottles in the bed.

Get into your nightclothes in a warm room, so you don't lose body-heat. Your nightclothes need to be a little micro-climate of your own - long-sleeved, long-legged in warm material, worn with socks, and maybe a fleece or jumper. What you choose depends on where YOU feel the cold.

Just before you get into bed, turn off the dehumidifier (and heater and electric blanket, if used). You can keep the hot water bottle(s) in with you if you want. You are warm yourself, in a warmed, insulated bed, breathing dry air, and should be able to get to sleep. Once asleep, people can usually cope with breathing cooler air as long as their body stays warm.

[Margarita]

JandM are your in my room with me right now hehe that's pretty much what I do and although not down south we have had frost for the past week. I'm in a very cold house with a room that gets no sun at all and yes I can sleep without the heater on all night.

$600 a month! dam I thought our $300 electric bill last month was bad (thanks to the flat mate who like to warm her clothes in the dryer before she puts them on) but I seriously could not afforded to live in your flat. I'd be the one moaning that I was having to pay for power everyone else was using as I limited myself to try and keep the bill down.