Total housing costs are the total monthly expenses that a household spends on housing. In addition to net housing costs for tenants (the basic rent and eligible service charges minus any rent allowance) and homeowners (mortgage costs, taxes and levies for owners and owners’ associations, maintenance and building upkeep minus the tax benefit for home owners), additional housing costs are also included.
Additional housing costs include user charges and costs for energy and water consumption.
Net housing costs refer to the month of January. Energy costs are based on actual total consumption in a year and the average rates in that year, of which one twelfth was allocated to the month of January.
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