Water
The first thing to do to reduce your water bills is to install a meter. Thus, you will pay for the volume actually consumed. In addition, it will motivate you to control the flow of water.
At times, utility bills can be shocking. But you can make sure that the communal apartment does not "eat up" the lion's share of the salary or pension. And we are not talking about some fraud with counters, but about completely legal and logical ways to save money.
The first thing to do to reduce your water bills is to install a meter. Thus, you will pay for the volume actually consumed. In addition, it will motivate you to control the flow of water.
Of course, the easiest way to save money is to install an individual meter in combination with modern batteries equipped with valves. Thus, while in the house, you can turn on the heating at a comfortable temperature, and when leaving, turn it down to a minimum so that the batteries do not heat up at idle. This will allow you to significantly save on payments.
Unfortunately, most of our homes are not very energy efficient. Up to 50% of heat escapes through door and window openings. Therefore, to reduce heat loss, it is important to replace windows and doors with better ones, or at least put in a new seal. If this is not possible, insulate the openings, as was done earlier - with paper or tape. It is very important not to obscure the radiators with furniture and curtains. And behind them, you can install heat-reflecting foil screens.
In order to reduce the amount of electricity bills, follow these recommendations: Unplug unused appliances from the outlet. In standby mode, they also consume energy, and generate approximately 30 kW per year. This applies not only to large appliances (washing machine, home theater, and so on), but also to phone chargers.
If you have an electric stove, use pots and pans with a thick bottom, and be sure to use lids.
Find the right place for the refrigerator. It should not stand next to heating appliances, stove or oven.
Keep the refrigerator full. Chilled food will help maintain a constant temperature, and there will be no need to turn on the compressor frequently.
Replace incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving ones that use 10 times less energy. In places that do not require too bright lighting (for example, a pantry, a loggia), use low-power light bulbs.
Replace old household appliances with modern, energy efficient ones (class A++, or A+). Keep your windows open so that natural light enters most of the day.
If in your house utility bills are charged according to the standards, be sure to notify your management company when you leave somewhere. Upon your return, apply for recalculation by attaching supporting documents (copies of tickets, vouchers, travel sheets, marks in the passport, and so on). This is a small, but still savings.
If the house is being maintained by the MC, consider that other people manage your money, and this is not always transparent. In the case of an HOA, you will clearly know where your every penny goes. In addition, you and other residents can decide for yourself which services you need and which you don't. For example, if tenants, according to the schedule, clean up on their site on their own, then it will be possible not to pay for cleaning the entrance. You can also do your own landscaping and landscaping. It is also important that you yourself will form the repair fund. Residents will decide for themselves what needs to be done in the house and how much money it will require. And most importantly - they themselves will determine the timing of the work.