Cost of utilities (Austin: how much, house, neighborhood)

[Phisch]

So, there have been a number of posts regarding the cost of utilities. So that we have an idea of what to expect, can Austinites give a guesstimate of how much things might cost or how much you pay currently?

We are shooting for a home between 2700-3000 sq ft. I would love a yard of about 1/4 to 1/2 acre or so. Just grass, no serious gardening.

Anyone have similar-sized homes and care to share how much you spend approximately in water and electricity?

[Trainwreck20]

We have a 2300 sqft house in the COA on a corner lot (fairly big yard, but still a neighborhood yard) with an automatic sprinkler system. The peak months (usually July/August), my total utility bill runs ~$320, I think. This is water, waste (garbage), electricity, and sewage. Two averages (based on my Austin Energy record):
2006 (pregnant wife year): $213/month average
2005 (no pregnant wife): $179/month average
The house is kept cooler than recommended when we are home, but is on a programmable thermostat.

Note: We heat/cook with NG, but have electric dryer. Gas bills are usually <<$50.

Edit: Breakdown of last months bill -
Electric: $129
Water: $10
Wastewater: $20
Solid waste: $21
Drainage: $11
Total bill for May was $191

Note that all these will vary quite a bit outside COA.

[achtungpv]

The $0.10 per sq ft someone posted on here a while back is pretty accurate. We have 2800 sq ft and our electric (everything's electric in our house) in the summer runs $200-300 and $120-200 the rest of the year. We're on a private water supply and our water bill runs $80 a month without watering the yard. You definitely get off easier with city water.

An all grass yard will be high maintenance by itself. Grass was not meant to grow in central Texas. It's a lot of work keeping it free of weeds.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

We have a 2300 sqft house in the COA on a corner lot (fairly big yard, but still a neighborhood yard) with an automatic sprinkler system. The peak months (usually July/August), my total utility bill runs ~$320, I think. This is water, waste (garbage), electricity, and sewage. Two averages (based on my Austin Energy record):
2006 (pregnant wife year): $213/month average
2005 (no pregnant wife): $179/month average
The house is kept cooler than recommended when we are home, but is on a programmable thermostat.

Note: We heat/cook with NG, but have electric dryer. Gas bills are usually <<$50.

Edit: Breakdown of last months bill -
Electric: $129
Water: $10
Wastewater: $20
Solid waste: $21
Drainage: $11
Total bill for May was $191

Note that all these will vary quite a bit outside COA.

We have a 2800 sq ft house. Our bill was just about the same for may.