Utilities and Apartments (Plano, Garland, Richardson: apartment complex, how much, townhouse)

[definingsilence]

My fiance and I are intending to move out of his mom's house and into a place of our own between April and June. I have never lived in an apartment and had to pay utilities, I've always lived either with family or on the same property as my job (horse groom).

Can anyone give me a ball park estimate of what we might expect to pay for utilities (water, electric/gas, etc)?

And can anyone give me tips on places to avoid in the Garland, Plano and Richardson areas? Or places I really should check out?

Thanks!

[jaime_mac]

If you live in a large apartment complex, gas (if it's even used as most are electric everything these days) and water are paid for by the apartment and they bill you on usage. It can run from $10 a month to $50 or upwards depending on where you live, how big the complex is and how much you use.

Electric you will have to pay for on your own. There are a few options on which electric company to go through and pricing can vary. I've always used TXU and my bills ranged from $70-150 depending on if it's winter or summer, how hot or cold it is, if I'm home a lot or not, etc. If you leave all the lights on when you live, crank the a/c down to 65 in the summer and keep a computer running 24/7 then your bill will go up.

It's really common sense when it comes to stuff like that. Don't leave things plugged in if they're not in use, or if you do buy a power strip to shut everything off with one switch. Don't leave lights on in rooms you're not in or when you're not home, turn the a/c up or the heat down when you leave if possible, don't run ceiling fans in a room you're not in, and don't leave the tv and computer on all the time and you should be ok.

[sonshinelife]

I pay water, electric and trash. Anywhere between $70 and $140(more on the lower end if you get on a balanced plan) usually for electric. My trash and water run around $35 a month or less. I have valet trash S-Th. I always try to find a ground floor unit and one that is in between other apts. It seems to save on electricity bills due to the insulation. Some of the newer apts. offer better insulation as they are trying to make them more like "homes" for residents.
I live in a townhouse/apt. home community vs. a traditional apt. community. That may make a difference.