Utility bills aren’t the most alluring expenses to look at each month because you are paying several hundred dollars for them. Things such as electricity, gas and water are needed to have a stable home life. The cost of utilities can vary depending on your local climate, city and size of your home or apartment. But is your internet needed or considered a utility bill? Keep reading to find out.
What is a Utility Bill?
A utility bill is a detailed invoice for services you use that allow your household to function. Utilities include essential services such as electricity, natural gas, water & sewage, etc. These common utilities are needed for basic services inside your home, apartment, or business to keep it comfortable and functioning properly.
These bills are ongoing or monthly household expenses, think of the expenses as ‘overhead costs’ for a business, which are the costs being set aside for a specific service. Remember your utility costs will vary depending on your style of living be it a home, condo or smaller studio apartment.
Types of Utility Bills
There are many different types of utilities and hence different utility bills. There can be different utility bills for businesses and households. However, a few common utilities are:
● Electricity: A bill issued by an energy provider because of your energy consumption and being connected to an electric grid.
● Water: A bill issued by utility companies for consuming water at a household or business.
● Natural Gas: A bill sent by a gas supplier for using natural gas and being connected to a gas mains network.
● LPG: A bill from a gas retailer for restocking or refilling of LPG gas at a property.
● Sewage: It’s usually a separate charge from your water bill meant to cover any maintenance of local sewage and stormwater drains.
These monthly bills are considered a utility because it’s an essential need for your household to properly function. The essential services provided to you through the services listed above allow us all to carry on with daily life — a monthly internet bill may not be needed for a household to perform their daily activities and/or routine.
Is the Internet Considered a Utility Bill?
Internet bills are considered a utility bill, just like telephone bills, because they provide services to the home or business that are considered necessary for daily activity.
Internet access has become a vital part of everyday life for many people, so as the growth in internet usage accelerates the demand to have it will increase. The increase in usage comes as more and more devices are needed to protect and maintain the comforts of your home life. Many items such as Smart thermostats, door locks, and appliances rely on consistent and safe internet connectivity.
Can we use an Internet Bill for Proof of Address Verification?
Traditionally, utility bills are considered an acceptable means to demonstrate proof of residency and in most cases, you can use your internet bill to meet this requirement. This also helps support the case that internet service is in fact a utility service. Helpful tip: If you have gone paperless and need proof of residency, print a billing statement from your online account.
Conclusion
Although utility bills vary for businesses and households, the internet is a utility bill for both. Your internet bill fits the definition of a utility bill:
● You have pre-agreed to the provider
● It has a fixed monthly recurring cost
● It can be accepted as proof of address
Even though your internet and energy bills are considered utilities it can be important to monitor or compare their prices with competitors. (That’s if you live in a state or area where competitors are located.)
EPB does a great job at offering its customers affordable rates through the Levelized Billing program. This budget-friendly program calculates a customer’s monthly bill by taking the average of the previous 12 months of energy usage. This means that instead of energy bills that are higher in the summer and winter months, EPB customers can enjoy a more level bill all year long. Learn more about Levelized Billing here.
