Average utility bills (liberty area) (Kansas City: apartment, how much, home)

[Aiyas]

Moving into my own apartment in liberty from my large family home and have no idea how much I should budget for utility bills. Help?

[Hazel W]

My highest this summer was $142. That was in July in a 2-BR apartment in JoCo. I have storm windows which does make a difference. I also cover the windows that get the most sun with thermal-lined curtains.

In winter, it is heating bill of around $40 - $50. All electric for both. No gas bill here. I believe gas is cheaper but don't take my word for it.

[Rocket Dog]

Water bills are outrageously high compared to Kansas City and other outlying areas. Water includes sewer, trash pickup, recycling, and a buncha taxes, etc. I just moved to Liberty two months ago, and my water bills are double what they were in KC.

[Gibby3000]

Rocket Dog - how much are your "water" bills?

[Rocket Dog]

Gibby,

I have lived in Liberty nearly three months. I have a small 3 BR, 2 BA. I am an older widow with a small dog, and I live alone (well, except for the dog.)

My water bill for the first month (including sewer, trash, recycling, and all those taxes and surcharges) was $74. For the second month it was $81. I've talked with the water department and even they agree it is rather high for just one person. I run the dishwasher only about once every ten days or so (don't like to cook, so not much mess.) I don't have tons of laundry like a large family might have, and I have a new high efficiency washer. When I moved here it was too late in the season to plant a garden, so no outdoor watering.

So . . . unless the dog is inviting his friends over for swimming parties in the bathtub while I'm gone, there is no reason my water bills would be so high except for the fact that the City of Liberty has to pay the City of Kansas City for the use of some of their sewer lines (so I'm told.)

When I lived in Kansas City, my water bills averaged around $30 a month, and that was before my husband died and there were two of us.

[RjRobb2]

You can call the utility companies and get an average from them. That's what I always have done.

[HN)Chris]

Hello rocket dog. You mentioned the water company said it seemed to high for you. I know liberty is under heavy construction lots of water/sewage repairs off ridge and mississippi st. How old are your lines leading into your apartment or house? I would begin there. A small area of corrosion/pin hole leak could lead to major leakage and be very costly. If it is an apartment does each tenant in the same building share water expenses and those other pesky charges? or is each tenant responsible for their own usage?

Have a great day, its totally up to you.

[Stingyhag]

I've been in Liberty for a little over 2 years. My water bill is double what it was in KC. The amount is the same, but where as KC billed every 2 month, it is the same amount in Liberty, but monthly. I run average of $120 a month in Liberty. And the water is hard, leaves mineral deposits on fixtures something terrible, and my hair feels like straw. Every so often, I have to use a pumice stone to get the mineral ring out of the toliets.

[HN)Chris]

Is that why they are having major water works construction all over in liberty?

[Stingyhag]

I'm just a bit north of Mississippi, and they did some of the work on my street also. It is a storm water project. If you've seen the water coming down this hill in a downpour, you'd understand. We've had to trench our yard to divert it from the house. At times it looks like white water going thru here, grab a raft. How if they are doing something in addition to storm water on Mississippi, I don't know, but my street was simply storm water.