Need the lowdown on Lake Worth utilities (Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach: house, neighborhood)

[NathanSmith]

Hello -

So I'm putting my money where my mouth is and moving to LW this year. Found the perfect place on Palmway - right next to golf course and the water.

However, I've heard horror stories about LW utilities. Would any LW residents here give me the scoop on this?

Some things I've heard:

- Periodic and unexplainable power outages
- Inconsistent bills. One guy told me his elec bill was $300+ one month, and $80 the next.
- All the utilities come on one bill (water, gas, trash, sewer, elec)
- deposits are extraordinarily high
- In general, all utilities priced much higher than WPB, etc for the same usage.


Any insights into this is greatly appreciated, as always.

Thanks!

N8

[NathanSmith]

OK - So I haven't heard anything back. It's occurred to me that with all this talk about LW, I am going to run a little experiment here:

I'll be living in LW for the foreseeable future. I know nothing about actually living there until March 1, 2010. Soooo .... I'll share my experiences as a newcomer to LW here with the board.

If I get robbed and beat up by gangbangers, I'll share it.
If my utilities freak out, I'll share it.
If migrant workers kidnap my dog for ransom ..... well, you get the idea.

T minus 24 days until Operation Lake Worth Living commences ....

[TriMT7]

Haha, good luck and definitely let us know. Sounds like you're moving to Parrot Cove? I really like that area.

I have friends in Lake Worth (east of Dixie), but they have never complained about the utilities.... to me, at least. I have heard and read horror stories in the comments section of the Palm Beach Post, etc. though...

[lcole07]

As a retiree from Florida Power & Light, who you will not be getting your power from in LW, and as Will Rogers said "never say any bad about ......
Check this out:Lake Worth Utility a target of complaints about high rates, slow repairs. - South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL) | Encyclopedia.com
There's more, just Google Lake Worth utilities

[NathanSmith]

Originally Posted by lcole07

As a retiree from Florida Power & Light, who you will not be getting your power from in LW, and as Will Rogers said "never say any bad about ......
Check this out:Lake Worth Utility a target of complaints about high rates, slow repairs. - South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL) | Encyclopedia.com
There's more, just Google Lake Worth utilities

With all due respect, the article you sent is 5 years old. Maybe things have changed .... maybe they haven't. I have no idea.

However, I appreciate the info though and I look forwards to chronicling my "adventures" on here so that other folks can have a good snapshot into what it's like for a newbie to move to LW.

[grahambrunk]

You know, lake worth has sone really cool things about it..,but utilities SUCK!!!!!!! What you have heard is true. When i lived on l street my family paid roughly $300 every month for electric...while my grandparents were in the ball park of $60....for a house in boynton. It sucks. I love downtown west palm beach area and would prefer the south end before ever thinking of lake worth!

[Pirateclosingon40]

I've lived in LW for 6+ years.

1. Electric water, sewer, trash all on one bill.
2. Unexplained power outages? Yup. Less recently than in past years, but often enough to be a problem, especially as I work from home and must be online during business hours.
3. Expense: My bill generally runs $225 - $365 per month, higher in the summer. I live in an old house (around 1500 SF) with wall AC units and zero energy efficiency, run the air a lot, and have two PCs on pretty much 24/7.

I hope this helps. I'm probably not too far from where you'll be living, so welcome to the neighborhood!

- Paul

[mike2000]

I've lived in Lake Worth for around 3 years, just a few blocks North of downtown. Here are my experiences:

1) Electrical Utilities: definitely more expensive than other areas. From what I gather, this is because the city (at least near the intracoastal) operates it's own (outdated) electrical system. While it's more expensive than it was up in West Palm Beach, I don't find it to be insanely expensive. A lot will will depend on how big your place is, and what kind of AC you use, or don't use. If you're familiar with living in South Florida, then you probably know the drill...if you're in a large house, you can cut down on power use by doing basic energy-efficient things.

2) Utility Reliability: can definitely be a little wacky. Power sometimes goes off for no discernable reason. That is to say...it will be a clear day with no wind and zap...power goes out. However, I believe it's a good deal more reliable than it used to be in the past...and I've seen definite improvement in the short time I've lived here. Coming home at the end of the day to a bunch of digital clocks blinking "12:00" used to be a nearly daily occurrence. But it's definitely getting better.

3) Inconsistent bills: Yeah, that happens. But, I've seen that happen anywhere. If the local utility doesn't send out actual meter-readers monthly...and instead just "estimate" your usage for that month...then yes, it can be substantially higher the next time they come and actual read the meters.

4) Good parts: hey, it's literally the ONLY old-Florida-style laid-back beach-town left in ALL of Palm Beach County. It's filled with locals, artists, and generally laid-back people. The cute and funky downtown is filled with mom-and-pop-run restaurants and shops; very few chain stores. There's actually a real sense of community here. I know by name the family that owns the local wine bar, I know by name my postman, I know the owners or managers of most every store downtown that I frequent. If you're looking for a break from the fake breasts, martinis, mercedes and obnoxious folk that seem to make up the rest of the county...Lake Worth is the only place to be, in my opinion. NOTE: I'm speaking specifically of the part of Lake Worth between the ocean and I-95. The few times I've been out West of I-95...eeeehhhhh.

[Magnolia Bloom]

Mike has captured the cool part of Lake Worth in his number 4. Folks should take time to visit the downtown area- go to a show at the Lake Worth Playhouse, grab a bite to eat and shop in the myriad mom and pop shops along Lake and Lucerne. Webber Gallery and Paws on the Avenue among my favs. Come at night and go to the clubs. They even have bike night, Fridays on the Avenue with music and lots going on. Their Halloween happenings were incredible.

As a city, it is poorly managed, but the vibe of the people is special. I have come to believe that, for now, it's a great place to visit......you know the rest.

Additional utility info here.Setting up utilities in Lake Worth

[rainroosty]

Just got the electric bill. $109.91