Utility bill prices? (Phoenix: apartment, buy, utilities)

[PheenixJobless]

observer, I have shell out more than $450 a month for electric only for my small house. It doesn't seem unreasonable for a 1 bedroom apartment to have the $230 my friend has.

[EDnurse]

Originally Posted by Jkgourmet

don't let PheenixJobless numbers scare you away. His friend is either exaggerating, irresponsible with his utility usage, has a faulty meter,or lives in an apt that has leakage that would blow his hair out of place if there is a stiff breeze outside.

Trash, water and sewer will be included in your rent in virtually every apartment complex. (note: if you rent a condo or a home directly from the owner, this may change.)

the cox bundle that a prior poster mentioned is accurate. However, many people are dropping their landline in favor of their cellphone, which would save you about $20/month on that bundle. (verizon has outstanding coverage in this area, so no landline is very viable.)

not too many apts have gas - far more are all electric. Being conservative with the a/c makes a tremendous difference. Get north/south exposure. Keep the blinds closed during the day in the summer, open during the winter. Wash your clothes in cold water and run the dishwasher only when it's full (some people don't run the dry cycle and allow the dishes to dry themselves.) don't get a plasma TV!!!! Turn down the air and heat when you leave the apt - don't turn it off as cooling it down that much will cost you even more. Get ceiling fans and use them when you are in the room. Turn them OFF when you leave the room. They do not cool a room down - they only create a breeze that makes you feel cooler, which allows you to keep the a/c a little higher.

There are managed payment plans that will allow you to pay 1/12 of your estimated annual bill each month. This eliminates the financial strain of the variable bills for summer vs winter.

The utility company (APS or SRP) can give you estimates based on the prior tenant if you give them an exact address, so you'll know what you're getting into.

Agree. Good post.

[PhoenixAirConcerns]

Originally Posted by Jkgourmet

don't let PheenixJobless numbers scare you away. His friend is either exaggerating, irresponsible with his utility usage, has a faulty meter,or lives in an apt that has leakage that would blow his hair out of place if there is a stiff breeze outside.

Trash, water and sewer will be included in your rent in virtually every apartment complex. (note: if you rent a condo or a home directly from the owner, this may change.)

the cox bundle that a prior poster mentioned is accurate. However, many people are dropping their landline in favor of their cellphone, which would save you about $20/month on that bundle. (verizon has outstanding coverage in this area, so no landline is very viable.)

not too many apts have gas - far more are all electric. Being conservative with the a/c makes a tremendous difference. Get north/south exposure. Keep the blinds closed during the day in the summer, open during the winter. Wash your clothes in cold water and run the dishwasher only when it's full (some people don't run the dry cycle and allow the dishes to dry themselves.) don't get a plasma TV!!!! Turn down the air and heat when you leave the apt - don't turn it off as cooling it down that much will cost you even more. Get ceiling fans and use them when you are in the room. Turn them OFF when you leave the room. They do not cool a room down - they only create a breeze that makes you feel cooler, which allows you to keep the a/c a little higher.

There are managed payment plans that will allow you to pay 1/12 of your estimated annual bill each month. This eliminates the financial strain of the variable bills for summer vs winter.

The utility company (APS or SRP) can give you estimates based on the prior tenant if you give them an exact address, so you'll know what you're getting into.

Good ideas. I would also add though that contacting APS or SRP to get former information is not always going to provide accurate numbers. A friend of mine did this, and her electric bill was 250% higher than what the estimate was. She had to pay several extra hundred dollars a month because the previous estimates were based on vacant use.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by PhoenixAirConcerns

Good ideas. I would also add though that contacting APS or SRP to get former information is not always going to provide accurate numbers. A friend of mine did this, and her electric bill was 250% higher than what the estimate was. She had to pay several extra hundred dollars a month because the previous estimates were based on vacant use.

That could happen, but in most cases, if you know the home has been occupied, it will give you at least some idea. And, vacant use will be SO low that your friend should have known better, if they've ever had an electric bill in any other home.

[EnicAZ]

Originally Posted by PhoenixAirConcerns

Good ideas. I would also add though that contacting APS or SRP to get former information is not always going to provide accurate numbers. A friend of mine did this, and her electric bill was 250% higher than what the estimate was. She had to pay several extra hundred dollars a month because the previous estimates were based on vacant use.

It's something you are always going to need to check out first, is whether or not the utility usage is reflective of being a vacant place or not. With how many vacant properties we have through the area, this is a common mistake.

What happened as far as discrepencies for her?

[observer53]

Originally Posted by EnicAZ

It's something you are always going to need to check out first, is whether or not the utility usage is reflective of being a vacant place or not. With how many vacant properties we have through the area, this is a common mistake.

What happened as far as discrepencies for her?

If you READ the post, it said she had to pay several hundred dollars more. As I said, the bill for a vacant house is so low she should have known better, unless she's never had to pay an electric bill in her life and was totally clueless about what electricity costs.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by PheenixJobless

observer, I have shell out more than $450 a month for electric only for my small house. It doesn't seem unreasonable for a 1 bedroom apartment to have the $230 my friend has.

Actually, it depends on the time of year you are talking about, first of all, be sure you are not comparing apples and oranges. There are so many variables here, but in 25 years in a 2100 square foot house, I don't think I've broken 300 in the last 15 years (there were more people in the house before that, and it might have gone a bit over, but I honestly don't remember). The age and efficiency of the unit, the airtightness of the home, insulation, sun exposure, ceiling fans or not, number of people in the house, which affects use of appliances, etc., and the personal preference for thermostat setting all play in. That is why these figures people throw out mean so little. Your individual bill sounds out of line (for any or all of the above reasons), and so does your friend's average.

[PheenixJobless]

Originally Posted by observer53

Actually, it depends on the time of year you are talking about, first of all, be sure you are not comparing apples and oranges. There are so many variables here, but in 25 years in a 2100 square foot house, I don't think I've broken 300 in the last 15 years (there were more people in the house before that, and it might have gone a bit over, but I honestly don't remember). The age and efficiency of the unit, the airtightness of the home, insulation, sun exposure, ceiling fans or not, number of people in the house, which affects use of appliances, etc., and the personal preference for thermostat setting all play in. That is why these figures people throw out mean so little. Your individual bill sounds out of line (for any or all of the above reasons), and so does your friend's average.

There are a lot of good points. Well said. Sun exposure is a big one.

[Juram]

Realistically if you have APS, you're generally going to get raped on your electric bills. If you're living in an apartment, it is very worthwhile to get intimately familiar with your TOU policy and strictly abide by it. For a 700-800 square foot apartment you can expect to pay $50-60 a month in the winter months and $90-150 in the summer months.


For Cable you can expect to pay $50-70 a month, for internet $30-50, sewage and water should run you about $20-30.

[Jkgourmet]

Originally Posted by PheenixJobless

observer, I have shell out more than $450 a month for electric only for my small house. It doesn't seem unreasonable for a 1 bedroom apartment to have the $230 my friend has.

Not to be rude, but if this is factual (and I very much doubt it is), you have no idea how to manage your utilities. Do you turn on your a/c or your heat, then open every window in the apartment? Do you have a plasma big screen TV that you leave on 20 hours a day? Leave every 100watt light bulb on in every room? Wash clothes once per day? I could go on, but like I said, I think the poster is full of it.

And observer53 is spot on in every post in this thread (and most others I have read.).