Journal · Housemates

Split utilities and internet with housemates, without the monthly argument

Equal, by room or by use: choose a fair way to split electricity, water and internet, and set a routine.

Rent is fixed. Utilities are not. The electricity bill jumps in a hot month, and suddenly someone is asking who left the air-con on all night.

Choose a method that matches your flat

Equal split. Divide every bill equally. It is simple and works when everyone lives a similar way.

By room. Use the same percentages as your rent split. Bigger rooms often have bigger air-con units.

By use. If one person works from home or runs the air-con much more, agree on a higher share for them. Some flats use smart plugs or separate meters to measure.

Internet and streaming

Split the internet equally. It is shared and hard to measure. For streaming services, only the people who use them should pay.

A worked example

Three housemates share an electricity and water bill of S$240 and internet of S$45.

• Equal split: S$80 + S$15 = S$95 each.
• If they agree one housemate who works from home pays 40% of the utilities: S$96 + S$15 = S$111 for them, and S$72 + S$15 = S$87 each for the others.

Set a routine

• One person receives each bill and records it the day it arrives.
• Everyone pays their share within a set number of days.
• Rotate who handles the bills every few months, so the work is shared too.

Deposits and set-up fees

When you move in, record who paid the utilities deposit. When you move out, the refund should go back to the same people in the same shares.

With Perpax

Perpax, coming soon from Goldmend Money, will keep a running flat tab for bills, with a gentle monthly reminder that never shows amounts on the lock screen.

General information, not financial or legal advice. Figures are examples. Check your receipt and official sources.

Next: Shared groceries and household items: what to split and what to keep separate