Avg. Utilities Cost for 2bed Apt in Nashville? (apartment, lease)

[DCDeckard]

Hi All,

I just signed a lease for a 2 bedroom apt in Nashville (West End Ave.) and am trying to budget my expenses. Does anyone know how much I can expect to pay in utilities per month approximately, assuming average usage (electricity, internet, cable) and what the cheapest options are for internet/cable? Thanks!

[user123455]

Comcast internet is $42.95/month + tax
Cable TV starts at around $15/month

ITS THE SAME AS ANYWHERE ELSE !

[rossc]

Comcast has internet/cable and phone bundled. After taxes, fees and all the other things they tack on, it ends up around $120 with no frills. Electric will probably run $125/month give or take. There are other options for internet, phone and cable/satellite, but the three will probably run about the same regardless of where you get them.

[rossc]

Originally Posted by user123455

Comcast internet is $42.95/month + tax
Cable TV starts at around $15/month

ITS THE SAME AS ANYWHERE ELSE !

for $15/month you get basic cable, which is not a lot more than you can get on an antenna.

[user123455]

Originally Posted by rossc

for $15/month you get basic cable, which is not a lot more than you can get on an antenna.

right, that's why I said it starts at $15/month. btw, I subscribe to basic cable, it still beats the antenna because of the superior reception, a few extra channels and the option to receive HD channels and on-screen guide (for an extra $5). Also you get the DVR option (again for extra $$).

[user123455]

btw, OP did not ask about phone service. Who needs a landline anyway ?

[alleycat]

The choices for TV in this area, besides the dish networks, are Comcast and AT&T. AT&T was just allowed last year to offer TV. Are you going to get a choice, or is the complex already wired for Comcast? You might also have gas or water to pay for, based on the apartment.

In any event, it's awfully hard to estimate what someone will pay for utilities; so much depends on the individual and the actual apartment. If I were making a rough, ballpark guess, I'd say you'd be looking at $160-$200 a month total average (it would be less in summer, more in the winter), not counting cell phone.

[DCDeckard]

Thanks for the responses. The only utility I need to pay for electricity. I've done some searching and it looks like AT&T's phone/internet plans run an average of $10-$20 less than Comcast, so I think I'll end up going with them. AT&T partners with DirecTV, so good call on the suggestion to check and see what service the condo will allow.

[alleycat]

In that case this might give you more of an idea. Electric rates here were around 8.5 cent per kwh, but they went up considerably last year.

I live in a smallish 3BR/2Bath house that's pretty weather-tight. It's all electric (heating, cooling, hot water); I keep the whole house comfortable (69-73). It's just me and a cat and I don't do as much cooking as I used to. I wash and dry part of my clothes, and take part to the cleaners (and I don't iron at all!). This is what I've paid for electricity over the past few months:

Jan - $130
Feb - $200 (it's was chilly!)
Mar - $116
Apr - $74
May - $58
Jun - $63

Of course, these are primarily for the usage the month before. This is pretty typical. Winter will be high (especially if we have a lot of cold, windy days), summer less, and the spring and fall months the cheapest--that's when our weather is the mildest (late March through early June and early to mid-September through sometime in November).

If you took the average of those it would probably come close to what you'll pay; maybe a little less for you unless you do a lot of cooking.