PG&E bill was over $400 - what to do??

[Allan Pilapil]

Hey BP,

I’m 3 months into renting out my first property. I rent out by the rooms and charge a flat monthly fee while I take care of utilities. The PG&E bill has been over $400 and PG&E said its mainly the heater.

Is it legal to put a lock box on the thermostat? Or are there any alternatives to making sure the bill stays low? The tenants are not paying utilities so they have no incentive to watch their usage- I will be changing that after the 6 month lease is over - but in the meantime, what can I do??

Thanks guys!!

[Theresa Harris]

This is one of the problems with including the utilities.  Are the tenants month to month or on a lease?  If they are month to month let them know if the heating bill doesn't come down to a normal rate that their rent will be going up to cover the extra costs.  Remind them not to leave windows open when it is cold out and what the thermostat should be set at.  You can also replace it with a nest one where you have control over it.