Cost of utilities etc

[akers326]

I wish to get an (approximate) idea of the cost of Water, Gas, Phone and local rates etc, for the Tuscany/Umbria regions. Any help will be appreciated.

[NickZ]

How long is a piece of string?

Cost is a function of how much you use. It can be very little or quite high.

Fixed phone starts at about 15Euros a month.

Electricity is about 12cents per kwH. But can go up with the contract you're on.

Heating will depend on what you have Propane is much more expensive then natural gas. But you might be using wood or other items.

[akers326]

Yes, thanks Nick. I know it was a bit vague, but you have to start somewhere. what I was really after were the rates (or local taxes) on properties. I have never seen any mention of them when I look at properties in Italy, whereas they are always there on French properties. regards

[NickZ]

If you're a full time resident it's zero. You would have to pay the garbage tax but that shouldn't be a huge number no matter the house. I think the rate can vary by town.

If you aren't resident it'll depend on the house. Nicer higher valued homes will be taxed higher then small average homes.

[akers326]

Thanks very much for that Nick, very useful.

Regards Ian

[Genzana]

I'm a bit further south than you, and it's probably colder here in winter because we're in the mountains, but we budget on:
- €200 a month on average on gas
- €100 a month on electricity
- €20 a month on water and rubbish collection
- €40 a month phoneline plus unlimited broadband from Telecom Italia
This is a for an old house (no insulation) with new windows and doors and new immersion central heating. We're very frugal with the heating!

[akers326]

Thanks Genzana, I have made a note. Do you pay these bills direct to the supplier, or through your bank with Direct Debits? The reason I ask is that I read somewhere that the water was cut off because the bill hadn't been paid, and they had to make a long trip to the water company's office to pay the bill and get the water back on. Regards Ian.

[Genzana]

Electricity and gas can be paid by direct debit, or by bank payment each time. I don't think you can pay them directly to Enel and Eni.
Water comes from various small providers I think, and mine has a local office so you can pay directly and avoid bank charges.
Rubbish goes through the comune and is usually paid at the post office (but perhaps banks can take them too).
I've not heard of water being cut off, but there are many providers and some are more organised and cutthroat than others. My bad experiences tend to be with Enel for electricity - they love whacking on €59 fines and reducing the supply for late bills. Given that Poste Italiane are not always very good at delivering the bills, it's easy to get caught out!

[akers326]

Thanks again Genzana, very informative. I thought your costs were a bit high until I realised that the Euro/Pound exchange is bad for us (UK). Regards Ian

[Genzana]

The problem is when costs are similar to living in the UK, but salaries are less than half UK ones!