Utility Cost Estimator

Utility bills are the recurring cost nobody underwrites but everybody feels. The Utility Cost Estimator models your monthly and annual spend across electricity, natural gas, water/sewer, trash, internet and streaming, scaled by the size of your home, how many people live there, and which US region you are in.

Climate multipliers capture why a 2,000 sq ft home in Phoenix costs more to cool than the same home in Seattle, and why the Seattle home costs more to heat. Toggle efficiency upgrades to see real dollar savings, and compare your number to the regional benchmark so you know whether you are paying typical or above-market rates.

• Per-utility breakdown: Electricity, gas, water/sewer, trash, internet and streaming separately.
• Size & occupancy scaling: Usage grows with square footage and number of residents.
• Regional multipliers: Heating- and cooling-weighted factors by US region.
• Efficiency toggles: LED, smart thermostat and efficient appliances cut usage.
• Benchmark compare: Your estimate versus the regional average.
• Annual view: Monthly and yearly totals with savings from upgrades.
• Export: CSV, JSON or plain text of the full estimate.

1. Home profile. Enter square footage, bedrooms and occupants.
2. Region. Pick your US region to load climate multipliers.
3. Rates. Enter your actual utility rates, or keep the defaults.
4. Streaming. Set your monthly streaming/add-on cost.
5. Efficiency. Toggle upgrades to see savings.
6. Review & export. Read the breakdown and benchmark, then export.

Example 1 — Small apartment. 800 sq ft, 2 occupants, West region: low gas, moderate electric, total near the regional low end.

Example 2 — Large Southern home. 3,200 sq ft, 5 occupants, South: high cooling drives electricity up and the benchmark shows above-average spend.

Example 3 — Northeast winter. 2,400 sq ft, gas heat: winter gas dominates; efficiency toggles show big savings.

Example 4 — Efficiency win. Toggle all three upgrades on a 2,000 sq ft home and the annual saving can exceed a few hundred dollars.

Example 5 — Benchmark. A 1,500 sq ft Midwest home lands near the regional average, confirming typical usage.

• Plan the bill: Know the monthly utility load before you lease or buy.
• Regional honesty: Climate multipliers reflect real heating and cooling differences.
• Find savings: Efficiency toggles quantify upgrade payback.
• Benchmark: See if you are above or below typical for your area.
• Complete picture: Fixed internet/streaming included, not just energy.
• Private: No account, no upload, nothing stored.