We pay utility bills every month, and we surely know what they are. The most common utility bills are water, sewer, electricity, household gas (LPG), garbage, cable TV/satellite TV, landline bills, internet, and mobile phone bills. All these services are either provided by the Government of any country or by private service providers.
For example, in the U.S, the most common electricity suppliers are SmartEnergy, CityPower and gas, and the likes. All the companies do not provide electricity connections in all the 51 states in the U.S. So you will have to look for the company which provides power to the households in your area.
Every country has its own localized companies which provide them with the required supply for their household needs. Often taxes are included in the energy bills as well. These can be a big part of the bill in some regions.
Types of utility bills
Let’s look at all the types of utility bills which we pay on a regular basis.
1) Is Electricity a utility bill? Yes
We all require electricity for lighting up our homes and other usages like heating, cooling, and refrigeration. Electricity is considered to be the most powerful invention of the 20th century and today we can not think of life without it. All our gadgets like computers, mobile phones, refrigerators, TV, etc. are powered with electricity. If there is a fault in the electricity lines, and if there is a power cut, most of our daily activities come to a halt.
Electricity usage is tracked by a meter and there is a price that every consumer has to pay per unit. The pricing is different for household and commercial purposes. Every month the meter automatically produces the bill, and the consumer is informed about the same. There is a due date provided in the bill, and the consumer has to pay late payment fees if they miss the due date. For the last few years, most of advanced countries and developing nations have built systems wherein consumers can pay their electricity bills online.
2) Is water a utility bill? Yes
In some countries, the residents do not have to pay for water if the consumption is under a certain threshold. However, in the U.S, the water bill is charged as per the consumption and there is a meter to calculate the usage per gallon.
3) Is the sewer bill a utility bill? Yes
In some countries, water and sewer bills are combined as the usage is a part of the complete cycle. The water is supplied into the homes, gets used by the residents, and then drained out through the sewer lines. So, the water and sewage bills complete the cycle and charge for both.
4) Is the gas bill a utility bill? Yes
Natural gas is the most common form of energy used in the households of almost every developed country and developing nation. Propane tanks are used in some rural areas.
Natural gas is transported in pipes to your house. These pipes are often yellow so that it is clear where they run. Gas can accumulate and explode if there is a leak. This is the reason why a strong smell is being added to it. You use it every time your water heater is active. The gas burns to warm up the gas. Some people have heaters that work on electricity but this is not that common as they are more expensive to run.
5) Is internet and phone service a utility bill? Yes
Most of the ISP (internet service providers) provide connections for TV through satellite or dish along with data usage for the internet. They also provide landline services because it is the same phone line that transmits data and voice signals. Almost all the ISPs across the globe have made it possible for consumers to make their utility bill payments online.
Verizon and AT&T are the two largest landline and internet service providers in the U.S. They provide satellite TV/Dish TV connections too and most of the customers go for a bundled deal to save on their final bills. All the cell phones in the household use the same provider in order to save on their utility bill costs.
How to save on your utility bills-
1) Check for leaking taps and repair them immediately. People often underestimate how much water leaks away. This can add up to several hundred dollars of water costs per month!
2) Switch off the lights and air conditioners when they are not in use. Turn off the computers and do not leave them in hibernation mode.
3) Use star-certified gadgets so that they consume less energy.
4) Opt for building construction materials, blinds, and shades with insulation properties. They will help you to save big-time on energy bills.
5) Use a microwave to reheat food instead of heating it on a stove in a pan. It will save your LPG bills and you will not waste water while washing the extra pan that you used to heat up food.
6) RO (Reverse Osmosis) purifying systems produce a lot of water as a residue. Instead of letting it flow down the drain, use it for taking a bath or watering your plants.
7) Start rainwater harvesting in apartments. Re-use the wastewater from households to water the plants in the gardens in an apartment complex.
8) Opt for bundled deals when you take up an internet connection with an ISP. Allow all your family members to be a part of the same billing plan. You can not only save on your bill amount, but it will also be easy for you to pay one bill. The family members can even share data amongst all the connections within the same bill. Add your TV bill and landline bill to the same package.
9) Install solar panels on the terrace of apartment buildings and let them take care of hot water in the water heaters inside the homes. Some apartment complexes even have started manufacturing electricity using solar energy.
10) Attach nozzles in your taps at home which dispense lesser water. Study shows that we can do all our household work with half the water which come out of the regular nozzles of the tap.
Conclusion
Now you know the ways to save on your utility bills, start making use of them. Make a conscious effort to cut down on your utility bills. You will not only save a lot of money but will be doing a favor to the environment. Petroleum is a non-renewable source of energy and LPG is manufactured from that. The way the non-renewable sources are depleting, it is very important to use them judiciously. Even though water is a renewable source of energy, the quantity of potable water is depleting from the face of the earth. Be prudent and save mother earth by reducing energy wastage.
Source
https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/what-is-a-utility-bill
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