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Utilities6 min read
How to document duplicate utility costs
Utilities require three-way accounting: pre-loss, reduced damaged-home, and new temporary-home costs. Here's how to prove the duplication.
Utilities are deceptively complex in an ALE claim because a displaced household often pays twice. They may still carry some utility cost at the damaged home while paying full utilities at the temporary residence. The reimbursable amount is the duplication and increase — which requires comparing three numbers, not two.
The three figures to capture
For each utility, document:
- Normal pre-loss cost at the residence
- Reduced cost still incurred at the damaged home (if any)
- New cost at the temporary location
Calculating the additional
The additional utility expense is generally the temporary-home cost plus any continuing damaged-home cost, minus the normal pre-loss cost. Pulling the actual bills — not estimates — for each location and period is what makes this defensible. Utility bill PDFs, with usage and billing periods visible, are far stronger evidence than a typed figure.
Watch the billing periods
Utility billing cycles rarely line up with claim months. When you reconcile by month, allocate each bill to the period it covers so the schedule reflects the true overlap rather than the date a bill happened to arrive.
Educational content only. This is not legal advice or a guarantee of coverage; final coverage and payment decisions depend on the policy, facts of loss, carrier review, and the public adjuster's professional judgment.
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