Utilities Guide

What am I responsible for?
With a house, you are usually responsible for setting up all utilities including gas, electric and water. With apartments, all utilities except the electric bill are generally included in the month’s rent.

Trash collection
Curbside trash collection occurs once a week, and recycling collection occurs bi-weekly. Check online at bloomington.in.gov for your specific pickup day.
Set your bins out the night before because collection crews start their shifts as early as 5 a.m.
Trash stickers are $2 per bin and must be attached each week for pickup. They can be purchased at all Kroger, Marsh and Bloomingfoods locations, as well as some Bloomington municipal buildings.
If it finds an issue with your trash or recycling, the Sanitation Department might leave a non-collection notice explaining why they did not pick it up, which could result in a fine of up to $50. 

Ways to save
Don’t just turn off. Unplug appliances and gadgets when they’re not in use.
Lower the thermostat temperature when you’re not home. For every degree you lower the temperature during the winter you can save up to 5 percent on your bill, according to the Alliance to Save Energy.
Wash clothes in cold water. It cuts your energy use in half.
Install a low-flow shower head in your bathroom. It has a water output of no more than 2.5 gallons per minute, as opposed to a normal shower head’s 5.5 gallons per minute. Low-flow fixtures only cost $10 to $20 to install.  
Lay area rugs on hardwood floors. Not only do they look nice, they also help warm a room and therefore reduce heating costs.

Names to know
Electric Duke Energy ?1-800-521-2232
Water City of Bloomington Utilities ?812-339-1444
Gas Vectren Corporation
1-800-227-1376