Interviewer instructions
1. Enter the last month's costs in the spaces provided.
Report the last month's or average monthly cost if the respondent pays the entire utility or fuel bill (even if these bills are unpaid), or if all or part of the respondent's utility or fuel bill is paid by a welfare agency, relative, or friend.
If part of the cost of the utility or fuel is paid by the landlord and part paid by the occupants, report only the part paid by the occupants.
If the respondent pays the entire utility or fuel bill for a multi-unit building (for example, he or she is the landlord), report only the amount for his or her own housing unit. If necessary, accept an estimate.
2. If the respondent doesn't know the exact cost, an approximate figure will do. Ask additional questions as necessary to obtain a reasonable estimate (for example, "Is the cost greater than $50 or less than $50?", etc.). In some cases, it may be easier for you to compute the fuel or utility costs from information given by the respondent. If so, ask whether your estimate sounds reasonable before entering the amount.
If electricity and water are billed together, try to obtain an estimate for each of the utilities separately. If this is not possible, enter the combined amount on the electricity line and bracket { } the two utilities.
3. If the house or apartment is rented or is a condominium, enter the costs for utilities and fuels only if they are paid in addition to the rent or the condominium fee. If a utility or fuel is included in the rent or the condominium fee, mark the appropriate box.
4. Circle “3” if the utility or fuel is not used, if it is not available to the household, or if it is provided to the renter or owner free of charge.
5. If the respondent has moved in recently, ask for his/her estimate based on previous experience and general knowledge of fuel and utility costs. Emphasize that we need an estimate in order to determine total housing costs for all housing units on a comparable basis.
