cost of utilitites

[aynot00]

Hi my name is Tonya and me and my fiancee are wanting to move to florida but we have been told that utilities run a lot higher down there. So if anyone could tell me how much a 3 bdrm 2 bath apartment would roughly cost as far as electric would be. And figure 2 adults and 2 kids taking showers everyday...what price does the water run at. I just need some kind of answers to make sure that we can afford what we want! This is a life long dream of mine to live in florida...anywhere close to dolphins!!! Right now i am stuck in boring ole Illinois. So if anyone can help me out that would be great!

Tonya

[aeliayousaf]

Hi Tonya,

My situation is pretty much the same, but I will be moving fom Toronto to Ft. Lauderdale first then Orland. My parents currently reside in Ft. Lauderdale. They have a 3 bedroom house with 3 bathrooms, and their bill in ft. lauderdale is abt $90-$120 /month. So I'd say keep a budget of atleats $150/month just to be on the safe side.

take care and good luck

aelia

[esprit]

Well a lot ddepends when as you will pay a lot more for electric in the Summer with the air con running full blast. To be frank though, I dont find electric too bad but gas IS expensive. I suppose my electric bills for my own home ( ie not a rental and I dont have it very air conned) have averaged around $100 per month for a four bed.

[scamhammer]

I've just done a quick calculation.

Without guests, I have been spending $3 a day on electric. With guests it is $10 a day.

(Both readings taken in similar weather condiditions.)

Does anyone have any ways of incetivising guests to keep usage down?

[esprit]

Yes, its called setting the air con thermostat at a chosen level and then putting a locked box over it so the geusts cant change it. Biggest power saving incentive in the world! Why are your bills without guests so much lower??? If you are thinking of swithcing the ac off if no-one is in, it isnt really advisable though you can switch it down.

[blott]

Before you rush out and get one, having a locked air conditioning control which guests can't vary to suit their own preferences is very unpopular!

Have you got ceiling fans? These cost very little in electricity but psychologically make it feel cooler inside the house without lowering the air conditioning.

Why not provide guests with optimum settings to follow and asking them to leave ceiling fans on low when they go out?

If you've got electric domestic water heating that could also make up some of the difference.