Electric, Gas and Other Prices (Melbourne, Merritt Island: sale, renting, homeowners insurance)

[Barli]

I recently read in a thread here that people get sick of others asking redundant questions. This forum, and speaking to real people who live in the area, is how I do my research. I hope not to put anyone off by my questions.

Would anyone be willing to pull out their electric and gas bills and pull a few other things off the tops of their head so I can compare pricing?

Currently we pay 9.36¢ per kWh, and about $1.43 per therm of gas. How does it compare there?

Also, do you all pay for trash removal? We are currently charged $15.75 through the county for garbage, recycling and yard waste.

A gallon of milk is $3.38.
A gallon of gas is $3.32 - $3.43 currently.

We also pay tax on groceries but I don't think you do there. Is that right?

[clnewman]

Trash removal: On Merritt Island (can't speak for other areas of the county), it's included in my property taxes. 2 garbage pickups weekly, plus 1 recycle and 1 yard waste. I love it!

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by Barli

I recently read in a thread here that people get sick of others asking redundant questions. This forum, and speaking to real people who live in the area, is how I do my research. I hope not to put anyone off by my questions.

Would anyone be willing to pull out their electric and gas bills and pull a few other things off the tops of their head so I can compare pricing?

Currently we pay 9.36¢ per kWh, and about $1.43 per therm of gas. How does it compare there?

Also, do you all pay for trash removal? We are currently charged $15.75 through the county for garbage, recycling and yard waste.

A gallon of milk is $3.38.
A gallon of gas is $3.32 - $3.43 currently.

We also pay tax on groceries but I don't think you do there. Is that right?

1. Don't use gas for anything- don't even know of an area that pipes gas to any areas down here. If you have a gas stove or water heater you use propane tank. Been 30 years since I had that so no idea how much gas is. All electric house-no pool and only use water pump sparingly- Summers $180=$250 depends sometimes on how many guests we have.

2. Trash is part of our water bill where I live in South Brevard. I think it adds $11 to the water bill every month. Water without sewer service costs between $45-$55 a month for the 2 of us. We do not have a pool or water grass with city water just the well water. When we had water and sewer it cost between $100-$125 a month.

3. Cable/phone/internet- Bright house-$175

4. Are you buying a home? Homeowners insurance for $100,000 rebuild/75,000 content/100,000 liability
went up to $2100 this year from company you never heard of before you live in Florida. Renting.....ran about $500 for the year(10 years ago).

5. Auto insurance- 2 cars one new one 12 years old....$1600 a year- no drivers under 25 no accidents-good credit rating

6. I am pretty much a 1 store shopper because I value my time and factor in gas use to go from store to store. Some things may be found cheaper at other stores. I also hate to shop so it has to be quick. <g> Gallon of milk-from Publix $4.09 can't remember ever being on sale-goes up to $4.49 sometimes. With card at Walgreens this week $3.49. Loaf of white sandwich bread-$3.19. Small wheat-$3.89. 12 pack soda between $4.99-$5.49 but can usually find a sale that brings it down to about $3. 50 Bag of chips-$4.50. bananas-.69 lb. peaches were $2.99 lb. have gotten them for $1.99 a couple weeks. Watermelon depending on type and where(in a grocery store-easier to bring back if not good flavor) $5-99- $7.99 depending on week. Lean ground beef $4.99 lb. Bacon.....so high I no longer buy it. <g> On sale Oscar Mayer might be found at $5.99 lb. 1 Lb Oscar Mayer beef bologna -my husband's vice - $5.49 lb if not on sale for BOGO.

7. Gas went down this week- ranges from $3.49- $3.55

8. Tax on food.......some things are taxed like paper products, cleaning products, and not sure what else but thinking like if you buy a single soda from the cooler, candy, deli sandwiches, meals already prepared and cooked to eat but not sure. I think we pay less than $4 tax on groceries every week though.

Hope this helps with planning- Prices seem to be a little higher here than some neighboring counties.

[clnewman]

Originally Posted by Rabflmom

1. Don't use gas for anything- don't even know of an area that pipes gas to any areas down here. If you have a gas stove or water heater you use propane tank. Been 30 years since I had that so no idea how much gas is. All electric house-no pool and only use water pump sparingly- Summers $180=$250 depends sometimes on how many guests we have.

We're on the SE "spear" of Merritt Island (Horti Point/Angel City). Many of the homes here are lucky enough to have natural gas, including mine. Got my gas bill today: $25.77. $11 of that was the Basic Service Charge. The balance was consumption, which is only cooking/grilling (natural gas grill) this time of year. Winter may occasionally bring heating costs. If you can get a home with natural gas, by all means do it.

Our electric runs similar to Rabflmom's: $235-$260 for summer so far. That's 24-hour A/C and the pool pump running 8 hrs/day. That'll go down dramatically in winter.

Haven't nailed down "typical" water costs yet. No well, so we're on Cocoa city water. Haven't watered the grass or topped off the pool in over a month due to regular rain, but did have a water main break right at the house-side of the meter last month that ran God knows how long before we caught it. No water was seeping above ground at all. The sandy soil drained all of it. That bill was for over 43,000 gallons of water, and cost a little over $300. I'm waiting for the sink hole to show up

[DreamingofSunshine]

Originally Posted by Rabflmom

1. Don't use gas for anything- don't even know of an area that pipes gas to any areas down here. If you have a gas stove or water heater you use propane tank. Been 30 years since I had that so no idea how much gas is. All electric house-no pool and only use water pump sparingly- Summers $180=$250 depends sometimes on how many guests we have.

2. Trash is part of our water bill where I live in South Brevard. I think it adds $11 to the water bill every month. Water without sewer service costs between $45-$55 a month for the 2 of us. We do not have a pool or water grass with city water just the well water. When we had water and sewer it cost between $100-$125 a month.

3. Cable/phone/internet- Bright house-$175

4. Are you buying a home? Homeowners insurance for $100,000 rebuild/75,000 content/100,000 liability
went up to $2100 this year from company you never heard of before you live in Florida. Renting.....ran about $500 for the year(10 years ago).

5. Auto insurance- 2 cars one new one 12 years old....$1600 a year- no drivers under 25 no accidents-good credit rating

6. I am pretty much a 1 store shopper because I value my time and factor in gas use to go from store to store. Some things may be found cheaper at other stores. I also hate to shop so it has to be quick. <g> Gallon of milk-from Publix $4.09 can't remember ever being on sale-goes up to $4.49 sometimes. With card at Walgreens this week $3.49. Loaf of white sandwich bread-$3.19. Small wheat-$3.89. 12 pack soda between $4.99-$5.49 but can usually find a sale that brings it down to about $3. 50 Bag of chips-$4.50. bananas-.69 lb. peaches were $2.99 lb. have gotten them for $1.99 a couple weeks. Watermelon depending on type and where(in a grocery store-easier to bring back if not good flavor) $5-99- $7.99 depending on week. Lean ground beef $4.99 lb. Bacon.....so high I no longer buy it. <g> On sale Oscar Mayer might be found at $5.99 lb. 1 Lb Oscar Mayer beef bologna -my husband's vice - $5.49 lb if not on sale for BOGO.

7. Gas went down this week- ranges from $3.49- $3.55

8. Tax on food.......some things are taxed like paper products, cleaning products, and not sure what else but thinking like if you buy a single soda from the cooler, candy, deli sandwiches, meals already prepared and cooked to eat but not sure. I think we pay less than $4 tax on groceries every week though.

Hope this helps with planning- Prices seem to be a little higher here than some neighboring counties.

Are those food prices for all organic? Seems very high and we live in MD and shop at Trader Joes and Whole Foods...so I am used to high price organics.

[DreamingofSunshine]

Can you guys get verizon fios in the melbourne area?

[PacketHauler]

Originally Posted by DreamingofSunshine

Can you guys get verizon fios in the melbourne area?

Most of Florida is AT&T territory for land-line service (I know this because of the industry I work in), AT&T does have U-verse (fiber to the neighborhood), but it's available in very limited areas. Best bet is going to be Bright House if you want speeds above DSL.

[Barli]

Thanks for the replies guys. This is some great info so far!

Clnewman yikes...I hope there are none of those nasty sink holes in your future!!!

Dreaming, I left MD in 2012 after living there since I was 16. I love your name because I am originally from Florida and for 20 some odd years I used to say that allllll the time. I HATED the grey and dreariness that happens, for what seems like, 95% of the time.

I actually thought the food prices seemed high too, but if I'm being honest, I do most of our grocery shopping at Walmart. The thing that really stuck me was the homeowners insurance prices. Ouch! We have Dish but I'm curious what you all pay for the internet part of your bill. My job is dependent on it.

[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by Rabflmom

1. Don't use gas for anything- don't even know of an area that pipes gas to any areas down here. If you have a gas stove or water heater you use propane tank. Been 30 years since I had that so no idea how much gas is. All electric house-no pool and only use water pump sparingly- Summers $180=$250 depends sometimes on how many guests we have.

Many houses in Melbourne and the beaches use natural gas for heat and hot water. I've seen bills around $50 in the month for the summer that can easily double in the winter.

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by DreamingofSunshine

Are those food prices for all organic? Seems very high and we live in MD and shop at Trader Joes and Whole Foods...so I am used to high price organics.

Nope Organic is higher. I don't shop at Walmart, though. Living on the coast seems to make prices higher. I listed full price but some things do go on sale and I buy then. We spend about $200-$250 a week for groceries. Just my husband and me, but we have a son who stops in at dinner time a lot and friends over sometimes. We eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and drink a lot of juice and milk.