Should I ask my apartment manager to reimburse us for the high electric bill last month?

During the past month, our A/C in our apartment has barely been working properly. It froze up daily, sometimes several times a day. We complained daily, and it wasn't until I went to the district manager that anything got done! It finally started working properly last week! Now, we've got a power bill that is $160, which is $40 more than our power bill was in June of last year, and the average temperature outside was only two degrees different! Should I take my bill to the office with the usage graph and ask that the $40 be deducted from my rent?

I think it's reasonable the apartment owner should pay the difference.

Absolutely---it's a faulty a/c unit, end of discussion.

I would definatly ask.. all they can do is say no.. I know that if the fridge breaks and they dont fix it timely they will replace the food.. but even if they say no.. thats all they can do right.. go for it. good luck

I don't think this would be such a bad idea. Keep in mind who you need to talk to though. The Office Managers normally can't make that decision. They'll tell you they don't have the power. You'll want to contact the Corporate Office or Property Owner for a situation like this.

Good luck!

You`re kidding right. Did you check to see that in may have been cooler last year? Did hydro rates increase since last year? is your temp settings the same? I wish my hydro bill was that low with the AC on. And can you say that you used the ac as often last year as this year? You can try but then again the manager may say that the repairs are your responsibility and send you the bill.

I would say your bill sounds about right. Whether the A/C was freezing up or not 2 degrees can make a huge difference. Also, you have to consider increased energy costs. Regardless of how your electricity is generated: natural gas, steam, coal, hydroelectric dams, et al, the cost of generating, transmitting and distributing electricity has gone up. You can't compare this month's bill to the one from this time last year unless your bill shows usage for both periods. If the usage is dramatically dispropotionate to the rise in average daily temperature you may have a case. But don't hold your breath.

Apparently you know how to contact the district manager. Politely present your evidence to that person. You are more likely to get positive results even if the district manager tells you go the the local management. You can tell them the district manager told you to tell them. You do not need to mention if he/she decided not to do anything.