Two Utility Issues to Avoid:
Excessive Bill When You've Done Nothing Different
Switching over utilities when moving out or in
Excessive Utility Bill:
It seems a regular occurrence these days whereby clients and neighbors are receiving what appears to be excessive electric, water or gas bills. Many times, when looking at their bills, it turns out that with the shortage of help, they had a few months worth of estimates.
How can this be avoided in the future?
We have updated utility lists for ease of use and have live links for Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, and Bedminster. In addition to a web page for each town where you can click and dial or visit the website from your phone, we have a pdf you can download and leave in a handy place should the lights go out. ALWAYS report outages. Otherwise, the utility companies can't as easily gauge how far reaching the problem is.
I hope you found this helpful. Send me your real estate Q&A by calling, text, or email as listed above.
It seems a regular occurrence these days whereby clients and neighbors are receiving what appears to be excessive electric, water or gas bills. Many times, when looking at their bills, it turns out that with the shortage of help, they had a few months worth of estimates.
How can this be avoided in the future?
- It's good practice to review whether or not your utility bills are estimated or actual. If estimated and this continues past two or three months, it's best to go over to your meter, and call in the numbers. Some newer ones may not have easy to read dials, and you can call and request an actual.
- If the excessive bill doesn't follow a series of estimated bills, answer the following: Have you:
- Increased your usage (best estimate) due to weather or need?
- Were you advised of a rate increase and is this bill in line with it?
- If not, I recommend that you quickly check for other reasons such as a leak, and call the utility to have them come out and check. As a realtor, I've witnessed both the electric in a townhome being doubly connected, as well as water leakages such as a burst irrigation pipe, or even a faucet leaking or toilet running. This can really add up.
- Moving In - At least a week before, call the utility companies, and have them switch over to your name on closing date, provided you believe your move is on track. No one likes to move in to a home without power, and especially in inclement weather, this can cause major damage. Additionally, many utilities will charge a fee to reactivate.
- Moving Out - I always recommend, once the date is firm for closing, that you add a day for an unforeseen delay, and if closing on a Friday, to play it safe and have your utilities turned off the following Monday. That gives leeway and allows you to remain with power. It's easier to turn off than back on. With the buyers / new tenants coordinating, this can be seamless.
We have updated utility lists for ease of use and have live links for Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, and Bedminster. In addition to a web page for each town where you can click and dial or visit the website from your phone, we have a pdf you can download and leave in a handy place should the lights go out. ALWAYS report outages. Otherwise, the utility companies can't as easily gauge how far reaching the problem is.
I hope you found this helpful. Send me your real estate Q&A by calling, text, or email as listed above.
