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Peakster's House Efficiency
Hello everyone. I have a 3 bedroom townhouse with a basement located in southern Saskatchewan. I intend to track the costs of my bills and share tricks of how I save money on home ownership.
The house only has one exterior wall so that helps with heating costs. As soon as I moved in I installed low flow shower heads and compact fluorescents throughout the home. I like the thermostat near 63*F, but my roomates like turning it to 73*F when I'm not at home :rolleyes:. The furnace is about 80% efficient. These are my utility bills for the month of March: Gas - $128.80 Electricity - $73.81 Water - $19.62 Other expenses: Cable - $30.37 Telephone - $63.83 Insurance - $22.42 Wireless Internet - $15.00 Condo Fees - $125.00 Mortgage & Property Tax - $1083.33 Total March '09 Expenses: $1562.18 Rent collection from roommates: $800.00 Monthly deficit: $762.18 --------------------------------------------------- Clearly there's some improvements to be made! I'm going to continue to conserve for the month of April and hopefully with the extra daylight hours and warmer temperatures, I can cut down on utility costs :). I'll update next month. |
Woo yay, another tracking their consumption.
How is your energy usage broken up? Heat is gas I assume? Hot water? |
Are your SaskEnergy payments equalized or is that an actual(estimated) cost? I'm a short way down the road in Moose Jaw and I pay $107 per month equalized. I own a 1912 two storey detached. Your electricity bill looks pretty good - about 540KWHr per month?. The Saskatchewan average is 683KWHr for a family of four.
I'm not sure what you can do to reduce electricity usage except CFLs unless your roommates are very accommodating. I'm also not sure what suggest to reduce gas usage without running afoul of condo association rules. You should however upgrade those windows, the furnace and possibly attic insulation (check your condo rules - it may be considered a common area). Definitely apply for the Energuide for houses rebate if you decide to take on any of those projects. Other things to note, SaskEnergy has a $15 rebate available for installing a programmable thermostat. Sask Watershed Authority is also giving $50 rebates for installing CSA approved lowflow or dualflush toilets. Financially the best thing you can probably do (assuming this is your first mortgage and you have 25 years to go) is pay down your principal - at this point, one extra payment can take years off your amortization period. Good luck! |
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Got to love the added help from roommates! |
These are my utility bills for the month of April:
Gas - $25.63 Electricity - $36.81 Water - $42.51 Other expenses: Cable - $24.15 Telephone - $34.30 Insurance - $22.42 Wireless Internet - $15.00 Condo Fees - $125.00 Mortgage & Property Tax - $1083.33 Total April '09 Expenses: $1409.15 Rent collection from roommates: $880.00 (one roommate is now paying an extra $80/month for the master bedroom) Monthly deficit: $529.15 ----------------------------------- Most of the bills went down this month with exception of water use. Turns out the furnace filter was absolutely clogged, so with a replacement the furnace barely runs! Also keep in mind that the outside temperatures have greatly improved here in Sasaktchewan. The electric bill is surprisingly low, and I think it may have included a usage adjustment after the first month. |
Maximum capacity...
May's property bills are in and paid for. This is what it looks like for the month:
Gas - $47.55 Electricity - $43.46 Water - $51.67 Other expenses: Cable - $24.15 Telephone - $54.82 Insurance - $22.42 Wireless Internet - $0.00 Condo Fees - $125.00 Mortgage & Property Tax - $1267.50 Total May '09 Expenses: $1,636.57 Rent collection from roommates: $1,280.00 (all three rooms upstairs are occupied and now my bedroom is in the basement) Monthly deficit: $356.57 ----------------------------------- Water use is up now with 4 people living in the house. We got cut off from mooching off of a neighbour's wireless internet, so we got our own. Payment isn't required until the end of this month though. Mortgage payment is now accelerated to the maximum allowed by the bank. Amortization is now only 11 years and 4 months! |
These are my utility bills for the month of June:
Gas - $31.77 Electricity - $44.87 Water - $43.16 Other expenses: Cable - $24.15 Telephone - $35.89 Insurance - $22.42 Wireless Internet - $7.00 Condo Fees - $125.00 Mortgage & Property Tax - $1,270.34 Total June '09 Expenses: $1,604.60 Rent collection from roommates: $1,280.00 Monthly deficit: $324.60 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now that the warmer months have arrived the cost for gas has reduced considerably (it's only the water heater that's really being used now). We're probably reaching the point where bills are the lowest they'll be all year. |
Maybe get a thermostat that has programmable limits? That is, one that can be set during install (using a special service menu) to not allow heat settings above, for example, 65F or A/C below, for example, 78F?
It looks like you'll save a lot by getting rid of your existing phone service and installing VoIP. And the cable seems redundant with the wireless internet. Also turn down the water heater if it isn't already. |
I was not aware of ViOP service until I just looked it up. We don't have a landline, everyone has their own cell phone instead. My phone bill is used for mostly business purposes (roommates calling me when things break, receiving calls about room openings, etc.)
The cable is a promotion by one service provider (which ends in about 2 months) while the wireless internet is under another provider and my roommate is responsible for that. We just split the bill between the 4 people that live here. I like the idea of a thermostat that has programmable limits... the house doesn't have A/C however it will come handy when winter hits because my roommates love to crank the heat while I'm not home and turn the switch down 10 minutes before I'm back. |
If it's an analog thermostat, open it up and a screw added in the right place can limit how high it can go.
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July's bills are finally paid for and here's what they look like:
http://ecorenovator.org/forum/member...3-img-4228.jpg Gas - $14.24 Electricity - $109.04 Water - $43.60 Other expenses: Cable - $29.96 Telephone - $46.29 Insurance - $22.42 Wireless Internet - $10.00 Condo Fees - $125.00 Mortgage & Property Tax - $1,265.71 Total July '09 Expenses: $1,666.26 Rent collection from roommates: $1,400.00 (rent increased when new roommates replaced previous ones that moved out) Monthly deficit: $266.26 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Looks like price corrections occurred when actual readings for the utility usages took place. Electricity skyrocketed and the gas bill was much lower than usual. |
Looks like you're doing pretty good for yourself there. $260 plus all the equity you're putting away with the rent from your room mates makes for a nice investment.
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I'm quite surprised of how fast the mortgage is going down. Right now the amortization is sitting at 11 years, 0 months as long as I keep up the current payments. A comforting thing is that I can always go back to the original 35-year amortization and payments anytime if I ever lost my current day-job, or had a vacancy for a long time, etc.
It will take a while, but I'm hoping that I can eliminate the deficit in the next year or two (or at least on paper. Canada Revenue Agency will probably love me when tax time comes around!). To tell you the truth I'm hooked with this roommate thing. It's not really a 'get-rich-quick scheme' but it's turned out to be pretty easy considering I was a property virgin just 6 months ago! $1400/month = $1.94/hour whether I'm at home, at work, or out of the city completely. Literally make money while sleeping! |
August's bills are all tabulated now. Here's what they look like for that month:
Gas - $32.64 Electricity - $52.20 Water - $33.35 Other expenses: Cable - $51.65 Telephone - $54.55 Insurance - $22.42 Wireless Internet - $0.00 Condo Fees - $125.00 Mortgage + Property Tax - $1406.69 Total August '09 Expenses: $1,778.50 Rent collection from roommates: $1,455.00 (more people moved out and new people moved in with higher rent. Next month will be crazy as there's a young couple moving into the master bedroom! :thumbup:) Monthly deficit: $323.50 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The 6-month promotional offers of some of the bills have expired. Looks like gas consumption and electricity are under control (the flat service charges are almost just as much as the usage charges :)). Water bill isn't too bad either. Accelerated mortgage payment even further this month. |
Your cable and phone combined cost almost as much as the electricity, gas, and water combined. Have you thought about losing the cable (and use wireless) and replacing the phone with VoIP?
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The cable bill should be lower for the end of September... we dropped a bunch of channels as the 6-month promotion expires. Roomates have been hounding me to get wireless internet (which we don't have yet) and considering they're paying for the bulk of the housing expenses, I should get the service. My provider says that the cable and wireless high-speed combined will be around a $85 monthly bill after promotional pricing expires.
As for the phone, we don't have land-line service. The 'phone bill' is actually just my cell phone. It's something like $29.99/month but add the voicemail, call display, taxes, etc. it's often in the $50/month range. I lump it with the household expenses though as I guess you could say I use it somewhat for business use ;). |
Use a DD-WRT wireless router and save the cost of letting them supply the wireless. (Or is it mobile internet?)
Also look at DSL since it might be cheaper. |
September's bills are FINALLY in!!
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Whoa, that took seemingly forever. Finally my last bill (it's always the water bill controlled by the HOA) came in so I can finally tally this months expenses and income. Here's how it looks:
Natural Gas - $30.89 Electricity - $51.22 Water - $27.47 Other expenses: Cable/WiFi - $54.59 Telephone - $45.75 Insurance - $22.42 Condo Fees - $125.00 Mortgage + Property Tax - $696.32 Total August '09 Expenses: $1,053.66 Rent collection from roommates: $1,650.00 Monthly Surplus: $596.34 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Attachment 397Attachment 398Attachment 399 This month's rental income was CRAZY, I have a young couple in their early 20s going to university paying $715 collectively just for the master bedroom, a guy in his mid 20s paying $455/month for the middle room and an older man in his late 50s paying $480 for the 'reject room' which includes the only parking stall. Talk about a cash cow! Mortgage was decelerated back to normal as winter is starting to set in. I live in the basement for FREE! No foreseeable rent increases for a while... I just want to nurture what I already have! $1650/month = $2.29/hour. |
Wow, things are looking really good now. :)
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Nice. It actually looks like the basement bedroom is the one with the most privacy, too.
If you want to calculate your monthly profit/loss, it's probably better to exclude mortgage principal prepayment. If you do that, it looks like you've been living there for free as long as it's 100% occupied. That's how it should be, since you're in the basement and all. |
That's a good point, since it's really the interest that's the 'cost' of living here. Principal just decreases the interest over time. I just really want this place paid for so I can move up to a 3 bedroom bungalow (plus 3 bedrooms in the basement) plus 2 car garage. The strange thing is that even though my condo is a 8 minute walk to the University of Regina, the demand for room rentals has mostly been full-time employed blue collar workers looking for a cheap place to stay.
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October's bills took forever!
Nearly one full month of telling the HOA my water reading for the month, they finally calculated what I owe and it's paid for. Jeesh! Here's what October's bills finally look like:
Natural Gas - $58.08 Electricity - $63.21 Water - $44.04 Other expenses: Cable/WiFi - $60.35 Telephone - $47.95 Insurance - $22.42 Condo Fees - $125.00 Property Tax - $106.69 Debt Interest - $428.96 Total October '09 Housing Costs: $956.70 Rent collection from roommates: $1,650.00 Monthly Surplus: $693.30 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm starting to feel the pressure of renting this place 125% capacity. 5 people living in the house and still only one bathroom! The basement bathroom is well underway and it should be finished before the end of this year! :) Mortgage payment was simplified to just the interest of all my debts for the month (since the principle payment isn't really a 'cost'). A close friend of mine just got new energy star windows for her 1960s home and there are virtually NO drafts in the house anymore. I'm thinking that I should replace mine because I only have 4 windows in the entire place ;) |
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Just a wee bit of a mid-month update:
1). I ordered four new windows and front door for the place and they should be installed around March 2010. They were pretty pricey (about $5K including installation) but the curb appeal, extra sunlight through the front door, and the improved window seals will be worth it! 2). Basement bathroom has run into a snag where we found water just below the basement slab. Currently there's a deep sump pump draining the water in effort to get it dry enough to tie into the sewer line. I'm probably looking at about $3.5K spent on the bathroom rough-in by the time it's all done. 3). One of my roommates (the guy in his late 50s) is really getting annoyed with the current household antics (hey, it's a household of people in their 20s, what do you expect?) so I'm predicting he will be leaving soon. Thus rental income will most likely drop to $1,230/month with him gone. I'm not planning on getting another roommate to take his place until the bathroom reno is done. Attachment 565Attachment 566 The good news is that with the windows put in, bathroom added, and basement window installed (to make the basement 'bedroom' legit), those will be the ONLY renovations to this place. Then I'll just focus on paying this puppy off! ;) June of 2010 will mark the 2nd anniversary of working for the bank, so if I have all my financed renovations paid off by then, I might seriously consider resigning and running this place full time. |
Here's what November's bills look like:
Natural Gas - $66.37 Electricity - $61.91 Water - $70.63 Other expenses: Cable/WiFi - $60.35 Telephone - $44.09 Insurance - $22.42 Condo Fees - $125.00 Property Tax - $106.69 Debt Interest - $467.75 Total November '09 Housing Costs: $1,025.21 Rent collection from roommates: $1,170.00 Monthly Surplus: $144.79 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As predicted, the older roommate has moved out thus rental income has dropped. I've moved into his old room now, clearing the way for basement development. Water usage was abnormally high, but with one less person living here, that should go down. The furnace is running a lot too! It's been -30*C and below for a few weeks now. Debt interest for the household rose due to the recent loan application to finance the new windows/bathroom addition. |
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Here's what December's bills look like:
Natural Gas - $110.53 Electricity - $72.61 Water - $64.53 Other expenses: Cable/WiFi - $60.35 Telephone - $44.09 Insurance - $22.42 Condo Fees - $125.00 Property Tax - $106.69 Debt Interest - $467.12 Total December '09 Housing Costs: $1,073.34 Rent collection from roommates: $1,170.00 Monthly Surplus: $96.66 ---------------------------------------- We had bitterly cold temperatures for the month of December (-30*C) to the point where the hinges on the front door squawked with stress every time it was opened. Oddly with just 2 rooms being rented currently and being some of the coldest weather of the year this place is still paying for the basic housing costs. Attachment 588 Basement bathroom rough-in has been completed (lots of jackhammering, dirt everywhere and pipes put in) and once the plumbing inspection is completed, we'll be able to continue with the project. So far the basement reno has been pricey... about $4,400 spent so far! |
My very first eviction!
Here's what January's bills look like:
Natural Gas - $84.38 Electricity - $122.09 Water - $60.39 Other expenses: Cable/WiFi - $74.92 Telephone - $45.48 Insurance - $22.42 Condo Fees - $125.00 Property Tax - $106.69 Debt Interest - $449.76 Water Heater - $110.00 Legal Eviction - $30.00 Total January '09 Housing Costs: $1,231.13 Rent collection from roommates: $975.00 Monthly Deficit: $256.13 ---------------------------------------- Wow, what a crazy month! We had an eviction of the couple that occupied the master bedroom because of smoking marijuana in their room and wasting utilities (they had windows open in winter and left the oven on several times). So now we're down to just 2 roommates. I'm occupying the master bedroom for now because of the basement reno. We're now in the midst of framing the basement. Still several more months before it's done. New windows and the exterior door are paid for and should be installed this April sometime, so that should help with heating costs next year. |
Sounds like things are going kind of smoothly. :)
Got any pictures of the remodeling? |
Basement bathroom is slow but sure
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Here's what February's bills were:
Natural Gas - $89.81 Electricity - $82.59 Water - $63.22 Other expenses: Cable/WiFi - $87.85 Telephone - $46.85 Insurance - $22.42 Condo Fees - $125.00 Property Tax - $106.69 Debt Interest - $442.83 Total February '10 Housing Costs: $1,067.26 Rent collection from roommates: $975.00 Monthly Deficit: $92.26 ---------------------------------------- So it's been one year since taking possession of my home and things are going quite nicely now. The bathroom pressurized water pipes are put in and framing is almost done. Soon we'll move to electrical. Attachment 636Attachment 637 |
I think that now is a good time to give an update of my property - I've learned A LOT with my experiences renting out real estate. Life is like a rental property, you just never know what you're going to get!!! Here's some valuable information for anyone wanting to do the same as me (keep in mind I'm in Saskatchewan Canada. The laws may be different where you are):
#1: Have rent paid weekly instead of monthly There are several benefits to this. You get paid on a more regular basis, weekly payments appear cheaper to the tenant ($120/week is actually $520 a month!) and in the event an eviction is desired, the tenant only needs to given one full week notice to leave instead of one full month :) #2: Have bills included with rent payment For one it makes it much more convenient for the tenant since they don't have to worry about fluctuations - and for another this way they don't realize how much (or more often for me) how little you're paying! #3: Never rent to students We've had 4 people live here as students (both part and full time) and all have turned out to be disasters. Paying rent is not their priority and often you have encounters with crazed parents who think their child can never do wrong. #4: People that have jobs and live paycheque to paycheque are your best clients!! These people know that paying rent is #1 priority (probably because of fear), often even above food. They also tend to be less disruptive to the household and have lower turnover simply because they can't afford to go elsewhere and will probably never save enough to buy their own home. #5: If you think that you can judge a good tenant before you live with them, you need to find another kind of work! The only thing predictable about renting real estate is that it's NEVER predictable! Some of the sketchiest tenants have turned out to be awesome while others that made excellent first impressions have done things where truth IS stranger than fiction (particularly the instance where one roommate woke up to a prostitute in his bed!) Overall the first year was actually a good start. I've learned a lot, have plenty of real-life stories to tell, and rent just seems to keep increasing! I'm looking forward to what the future has to offer. |
Almost out of deficit...
Here's what March's bills were:
Natural Gas - $72.12 Electricity - $81.06 Water - $49.49 Other expenses: Cable/WiFi - $58.98 Telephone - $64.17 Insurance - $22.42 Condo Fees - $125.00 Property Tax - $106.69 Debt Interest - $446.54 Total February '10 Housing Costs: $1,026.47 Rent collection from roommates: $975.00 Monthly Deficit: $51.47 ------------------------------------------------------------- New windows and front door are getting installed tomorrow. Basement bathroom hasn't had any progress since my family and I went to California on vacation for a week. Some revolving credit was used recently causing some interest costs to jump this month. |
Here's what April's bills were:
Natural Gas - $89.23 Electricity - $36.64 Water - $49.92 Other expenses: Cable/WiFi - $76.90 Telephone - $57.35 Insurance - $24.50 Condo Fees - $125.00 Property Tax - $106.69 Debt Interest - $438.48 Total April '10 Housing Costs: $1,004.71 Rent collection from roommates: $975.00 Monthly Deficit: $29.71 ------------------------------------------------------------- Well it's getting hot outside so I just moved back into the basement and I'm renting out all 3 rooms upstairs again. I'm working hastily on paying off my borrowed money for the renovations (the new windows look great and seal much nicer!) Month of May should bring in $1,540/month in rental income and I'm moving to full time employment again this summer :) http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._4195406_n.jpg |
Here's what May's bills were:
Natural Gas - $45.32 Electricity - $59.44 Water - $42.07 Other expenses: Cable/WiFi - $79.10 Telephone - $44.91 Insurance - $24.50 Condo Fees - $125.00 Property Tax - $106.69 Debt Interest - $446.81 Total May '10 Housing Costs: $973.84 Rent collection from roommates: $1,540.00 Monthly Surplus: $566.16 ------------------------------------------------------------- The bills are decreasing due to the summer months. Property taxes went up a bit as well as insurance as they typically do. The prime interest rate in Canada went up by 0.25% so there was a small increase in borrowing costs. I'm in the midst of attempting to refinance my mortgage with the renovation debt so I'll keep you informed :thumbup: |
Babington style waste oil heater pumps
The cam gear pump works fine for filtered WVO or used motor oil Babington heaters and I have installed it on my Babington style heaters.
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The only thing about the cam gear pump is that the
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fire kind of pulses as the cam gear rotates. If you use the spur gear pump that is LDU's stock
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LDU Company also has other parts that I use for building my waste oil burners,
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like gear reduction motors. I find it best to turn the pump slower because you really don't need a whole lot of oil dripping on the atomizer ball.
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Refinance went through!
Here's what June's bills were like:
Natural Gas - $32.60 Electricity - $60.39 Water - $41.20 Other expenses: Cable/WiFi - $32.17 Telephone - $81.55 Insurance - $24.50 Condo Fees - $125.00 Property Tax - $109.26 Debt Interest - $383.83 Total June '10 Housing Costs: $890.50 Rent collection from roommates: $1,540.00 Monthly Surplus: $649.50 -------------------------------------------------------------- Well I'm happy to announce that I refinanced my debts together with the mortgage so my total debt interest took a tumble (and will stay low for the next 3 years at least). Other than my roommate using my cell phone a lot this month & my property taxes inching up, things are have worked out beautifully! |
Thats great news Peakster. I'm in the same boat you are. We're also refinancing to get a lower interest rate. I'm going from 6.75% down to 4.25%. I'm also dropping from a 30 year to a 20 year, getting rid of PMI insurance, and the payment is still $70 less a month!
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The power of refinance is awesome! I had line of credit debt that was going to shoot up in interest rate if I leave my job (which I'm planning on doing), so I had them paid out with the mortgage and closed them completely.
In my case I went with a 3 year fixed at 3.50% (my original mortgage was 4.39% fixed for 3 years 9 months), went from a 33 year amortization to 25 and now I just have one debt to worry about. With the extra cash-flow I'm stuffing the extra cash into savings and it feels good! |
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