How to Estimate Utilities?

[David Santore]

Hi, I'm looking to buy a 2 family in the near future and house hack it by living in the 2 BR unit, leaving the 3 BR unit to rent. Right now I am trying to estimate on utilities, and this is proving tough for me: all of my prior living situations have been with roommates that have had some big elements of waste in my opinion: roasting thermostat heat in a drafty house, forgetting to turn lights and appliances off. Also, I've never lived in areas where I had to pay water (part of rent). In short, I don't feel like I can trust my estimates because there are so many variables from the past. Is there a rule of thumb for estimating electric/water/heat? I want to provide my future tenants with a good estimate, and also budget correctly when looking at homes.

[Tobey Porter]

Call the utility companies.  They should be able to provide averages for the last 12 months.  That'll give you a good starting point for estimates.