[OPEN] Bills are really high

[JasonVega2]

Just started playing Sims 4 again after an 18-month hiatus. On vacation in Mt. Komorabi and my Sims get a bill for 65K! Holy simoleons! I don't even *have* the Eco Lifestyle pack! On the bill it lists power and water as $0.

[A937113]

I have a 20.000 bill with 12.000 in tax breaks and penalties. This is ridiculous... 

[ciguen]

Even after the today's patch the problem seems to still exist.

I am playing with all packs (but without Journey to Batuu and Cottage Living (since that is not available yet)), but I have installed today's patch.

I am playing a Rag's to Riches Challenge in Windenburg with two Sims, who recently decided to live together.

Before the household-merge my main sim had to pay taxes in the amount of 271 simoleons - without a single item standing on her homelot.

Then she went a little dumpster-diving and some things - naturally - landed in her family (household) inventory.

I decided to count the total worth of the items in the family (household) inventory when I got the most recent invoice for the lot (the main sim actually was on the chateau lot, my other sim was on a lot where I placed a self-build community lot (eco lifestyle community lot that can be changed to market lot, gardening lot, maker space)) - see picture with location map and red circles.

The invoice (for the main sim on the chateau lot) was 995 simoleons this time - see picture one - (with items in family (household) inventory (all from dumpsterdiving) which are worth to 8,625 simoleons in total).

The main sim had some collectables in her own inventory - mainly fruits and colors from dumpster diving as well as two insects (also from dumpster-diving - bee and lady bug), one fish worth 100 simoleons, 4 paintings (self-painted) worth roughly 900 simoleons.

After getting the invoice I changed controls to my second sim in that household and ordered him to go to the home lot where I checked the mail box for the invoice information. It says now (same invoice) 1,364 simoleons - see picture 2!! Under unpaid invoices (unbezahlte Rechnungen) it says 995 (which is the amount that is mentioned in the news panel) plus the lot taxes that amount to 491 simoleons (64x64 lot in Windenburg). Which invoice information is now correct? The news panel or the information at the mail box?

Also there seems to be a time difference - normally you get the invoices on mondays - but for both my sims it is saturday - granted I did not play since August 2020 until recently - but I don't think that the day for invoice did change??? So quite a few issues here.

Both sims have only started their sim-life - they are in their third week spring year 1 (I play on long, so each season is 4 weeks).

In my opinion that seems to be a bug with the invoices. I don't understand why the family (household) inventory is counted to the invoice (especially for items that have not been bought but instead received through dumpster-diving) in this way. 

Please help.

[mproor]

I have recently been having an issue with the new cottage living EP where i live on a basegame lot ( 1 cobblestone street 20x15) where i have to pay almost 15,000 in bills and im using all the furniture that came with the house and i have only added some plants, a bee box and the chicken coop with do not even equal out to 15,000 dollars?! Just wondering if this is an easy fix or am i just going to have to cheat to pay the bills?

[Aether_President]

Am I the only one who enjoy expensive bills? Lol My mansions cost my sims about 13000~18000 per week (already deducted by frugal trait"s") but I most of my sims are too rich and don't know how to spend money.

[DDWard1972]

There is a mod that still works with Cottage Living called Realistic Bills by mgomez. It's on modthesims and it works really well. 

[mproor]

I usually mod my sims but this time around I really wanted to just play base game with the new pack without mods. So it is definitely a very annoying in game issue! Like i get it if you live in a mansion the bills are high but not 15,000 for a small 20x15 lot is outrageous!! Its basically forcing me to cheat so i don't lose it all lol

[LeissaMyst]

Ok One thing I'd like to know, If you go into your Bill Summary (click on your mailbox) does it list anything under "Additional Penalities and Taxes" subcategory. If yes, check this thing:

NAPs - These can add to your taxes, even when they don't directly indicate it. Repeal all NAPs and see if this makes a difference (The Active Mind and Body, and Self-Sufficency NAPs were my biggest drain)

Additionally if your getting POSITIVE values on ANY of your subcategories, that infact means it's deducting the amount from your taxes (e.g. reducing them), which is intended behavior, but should never be something that pays for itself. Other things like Eco Footprint carry fines that may or may not be obvious (I got in /real/ trouble for owning a rocket ship in Sulani f.e.)

[LeissaMyst]

kessly, I think the bills are tallied on a weekly basis. If you have had ANY electronics on in that week then you can expect power bills. That being said, lights and OTG Fridges, are some unexpected sources of power bills. Apparently they cost power (and have since OTG was changed) even though they aren't even on and cost quite a lot for the lights alone. Lights are kinda the only thing that I know of that sims HAVE to pay for with bills, and the changes to OTG changed all that. Lights generally (not candles) have a power consumption rating of 10, which I believe is the highest rating possible. I honestly didn't expect this when I first got into the new OTG System, I have since replaced all my lightbulbs with OTG candles, because the power grid is just unreal for lighting alone (personally my feelings are the lights should only have a power consumption of about 0.1 Power per day per five lights (yes I know I go overboard with the lights))

[LeissaMyst]

I should note: My Bills are reasonable, atleast for the moment. I pay 3k Simeloens per week for houses worth apx. 15k - 20k of (initial) investment; which seems fair. I usually build my homes in the world map before moving in my families, then customize them after arriving. $3 Per Week isn't bad, but when you double that for a single bad NAP then I have issues; and that's what i've run into recently. I worked around it, but it's annoying to have to account for every possibility when no real documentation exists.

I would like to put forward a suggestion of an "Itemized" Bill Statement instead of just lumping all in categories. (e.g. 

You paid: 300 for Land

You paid: 1500 for Objects

You paid: 300 for Electricity for 32 objects

You paid: 120 for Water for 6 objects

You paid: 3000 for Fines on Active Mind and Body

You paid: 2400 for Fines on Self-sufficency

You paid: 5000 for Eco Footprint from Launching a Rocket in Sulani

)