The cost of hydro and electricity in Vancouver

April 2, 2007 4:03 PM

The cost of apartment living in Vancouver, Canada...?

I'm moving out on my own for the first time and I need to figure out what my price range is. While I have determined what my phone, internet and tv bills are going to be and added them to my total, I'm having a hard time tracking down information on basic utilities: heat, water, electricity, etc. Anyways, what is the average cost of these utilities for a 1or 2 bedroom place with 2 people living in it? Also, does the increase in utilities costs offset the convenience of having a washer/dryer and/or a dishwasher?

Bonus points if you can think of any hidden costs I'm forgetting...

posted by johnsmith415 to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

I've been living in Vancouver for 8 years now.. usually with 2 people, but YMMV.

My gas bill on a 1100 square foot townhouse is $37 a month on equal payments. They keep scaling it down each year. I've heard the ~30 thrown around on apartments that are gas heated like mine.

In general, electricity is about $35 a month as well.

Water is free in Vancouver, or at least free from the tenant's point of view.

Renter's insurance is a hidden cost that you may be forgetting... don't. If your toilet overflows, someone breaks in, or there's a fire, it'll seem more than worth it. Make sure to shop around before you settle on an agent, as in my experience the cost and packages vary SIGNIFICANTLY.
posted by Vantech at 4:10 PM on April 2, 2007

I pay $20/month in Burnaby (Vancouver suburb) for electricity on an equal payments plan. ~750 sqft, 1 person. Electric heat. But then again, I'm hardly ever home and don't have a washer/dryer. My dishwasher is a tiny little countertop one, with negliable effect on the electricity bill.

2nding the renters insurance. If something ever goes wrong (and it will, eventually) it will be more than worth it. Trust me.
posted by cgg at 4:31 PM on April 2, 2007

It's not hard to find an apartment where heat is included at no extra cost. That's what I generally did. Unless you're in the basement (avoid) you usually get lots of heat from below, too. Place with its own washer and dryer is going to cost quite a bit more. Laundromat is cheaper. Some older apartments don't charge you to use the machines, which is nice. I guess you don't have a car, but if you did, you may need paid parking in the building, unless you are way off somewhere with lots of parking. I don't remember electricity being 35 a month, more like 20. You can call BC Hydro and they will estimate for you, based on a given type of dwelling.
posted by Listener at 5:02 PM on April 2, 2007

In Victoria, I think we paid around $30 to $35 a month for an average- sized two bedroom. I imagine that Vancouver is around the same.
posted by synecdoche at 6:00 PM on April 2, 2007

Renter's insurance is a hidden cost that you may be forgetting

Renters' insurance needs to considered carefully. It's quite easy to find yourself paying an annual premium of 1 % of the value of the insurance. Compare that to homeowners' insurance where the rate is (in my case anyway) is about 0.1%.
posted by Neiltupper at 6:06 PM on April 2, 2007

Heat & hot water covered here as well as parking (if you move downtown with a car you'll likely have to pay). Two of us split about $35 - 40 a month in electricity. 2 bedroom townhouse.

And yeah, it's cheaper to have a place with a washer/dryer than to spend money & time going out. We have insuite laundry and I can't imagine going back to shared laundry. We also have a full size dishwasher.
posted by Salmonberry at 6:49 PM on April 2, 2007

Yeah, I would second the laundry in house thing. We've tried an apartment without, but I can't see us ever going back. Ditto with the dishwasher; the cost for electricity has gone up maybe $5 with versus without, but the laundry and dishes feel a lot less like a chore.
posted by Vantech at 8:11 PM on April 2, 2007

Response by poster: Thanks for all the answers everyone!
posted by johnsmith415 at 10:16 AM on April 3, 2007