Ask Amy: Why should I pay half the power bill when I’m just one person?

Dear Amy: I live with my daughter and son-in-law in my own private quarters, which I paid for them to build.

My area covers approximately one-third of the house. I try to give them their space and live independently in my unit, which is attached by a hallway to their two-story quarters.

We are a loving family and I have a perfect son-in-law.

I stated that I’d pay one-third of the utilities, which includes heat, air conditioning and garbage pickup.

I’m retired and living on Social Security. They are full-time successful business people.

My daughter thinks I should pay for half the utilities.

Granted, I don’t suffer; I use the heat and air for my comfort. Old people don’t like to shiver all winter or sweat all summer.

Is it equitable to split the costs 50/50 or should we pay according to our earning power?

Cool Customer

Dear Cool Customer: No, it doesn’t seem equitable to split the costs of these utilities 50/50. Nor does it seem equitable to pay for utilities based on your income.

The obvious solution (to me) is for you to pay one-third of the utilities, since you occupy one-third of the space and are one-third of the occupants.

You might look into installing a door between your unit and their house (for energy conservation purposes), and perhaps installing a separate meter for your unit.

Dear Amy: I’m a business owner with a small retail store located in an affluent community.

We rent our space, and our staff includes family members who work for free so that we can keep the doors open.

The shop is a labor of love, and it is a gathering place for community members. That said, business is very slow and we are struggling.

The COVID years saw our complete shutdown (according to state mandates) and business at a complete standstill. The tourists who used to be our main guests/buyers have not returned since COVID.

We are constantly being approached by local businesses and nonprofits looking for donations and sponsorships.

These include schools asking for donations to raffles; museums asking for three-figure donations to their fundraisers; nonprofits raising money for good causes; local theaters and newspapers asking us to purchase ads (“for only $275 a week”), and more.