Utility bills in CS

6,561 Views | 31 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by BucketofBalls99
busdriver88
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AG
Wife and I purchased a condo in College Station in December. Got the first utility bill this week and was shocked. Place is 1200 sf, we only ran the heat/ac for three days of the billing cycle, and other than that, only things running is a fridge and some lights.

The bill was comparable to my bill for my house in Lubbock which is 3x the size. Is this just how it is?
There may not be time to do the job right, but there is always time to do the job over!!
dubi
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AG
busdriver88 said:

Wife and I purchased a condo in College Station in December. Got the first utility bill this week and was shocked. Place is 1200 sf, we only ran the heat/ac for three days of the billing cycle, and other than that, only things running is a fridge and some lights.

The bill was comparable to my bill for my house in Lubbock which is 3x the size. Is this just how it is?
The may have misread the meter. Call.
UmustBKidding
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Electric is expensive in cs and also includes fees, water, sanitation, garbage and the graft and corruption $10 surcharge.
I dont know if the electric was in place when you acquired it but i have heard of cases they had a meter in place and not turned off service and the new resident got hit with the bill since the previous resident paid. Of course was in a rental home but I would check what their initial meter reading was and when it was taken.
MemphisAg1
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AG
I've actually had a different experience. Built this house in CS 4 years ago. 4k SF, single story, and electric bill ranges between $175-ish in cooler months and $250-ish in warmer months. Good insulation, high efficiency heat pumps, and metal roof. Everything is electric expect propane on-demand water heaters. BTU is electricity provider.

This is electric only. Doesn't include water, sewage, trash, etc.
Lone Stranger
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Most likely that condo is all electric AND as others mentioned the bill includes water, sewer, trash, taxes, fees, add-ons and other assessments as our benevolent overlords deem necessary. If you thought LPL was a train wreck to watch you ain't seen nothing yet........
spike427
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Was there a new customer or transfer fee? What was your daily KWH and water usage?
busdriver88
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Thanks. Yes, it is all electric, and included all the other charges, along with a 30 dollar "connect" fee. Also, in the interest of full disclosure, I misspoke about it being equal to my residence. But it is more than I expected.

I did call, and was told the meter was read on the proper date. Since then they have gone to the new meters they can read from the office.....

Thanks. At least I am not alone.
There may not be time to do the job right, but there is always time to do the job over!!
UmustBKidding
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Ya you have bryan electric not college station. A minimum of 4c a kwh higher
TAMU1990
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I've been told one factor is kids skipping out on their bills when they leave town. How true that is I don't know.
1.618
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One thing that you might check is the water heater. We had renters that cranked the electric water heater to maximum so even in the winter when the electricity bill would normally go way down, it was staying higher than normal. Our water heater is not inside the house so it takes a bit of electricity to keep it hot on cold days.

Beyond that, I don't have any ideas. The non-electric charges do add up as others have mentioned. You start out at $40 before you use any water or electricity.
histag10
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The house we lived in in CS (older home) was 2200 sqft, and in the summers our bill would run around $400-500.

If i remember correctly, if you didnt set up auto pay, that first bill will include your deposit, which is comparable to a monthly bill.
busdriver88
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AG
The water heater........Ill check it next weekend. That may be some of it. Again, thanks
There may not be time to do the job right, but there is always time to do the job over!!
busdriver88
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Stupid question. Just got in town and went to adjust the water heater temp. At first glance there does not appear to be a temperature control.

Could I just unplug it when we leave town? Or does that energize the flux capacitor and blow up the building?
There may not be time to do the job right, but there is always time to do the job over!!
JP76
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How many kilowatts did you use on the first bill ?


In general for a family of 4, an electric water heater will usually consume about $25-$30 a month in electricity assuming hot water is being used everyday for showering/bathing washing

Refrigerator ~ $10-$15 depending on location abd how old of model it is
JP76
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If electric you can unplug it but i would not turn the central heat completely off because you could end up with frozen/busted pipes when you return
busdriver88
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I don't know. I will log on when I get back to the home computer and see. My son is a CT and he comes over sometimes on the weekends to get off the quad, relax, but his days of being in the shower for 2 hours ended in high school.

I ll check.
There may not be time to do the job right, but there is always time to do the job over!!
busdriver88
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Thanks. I bought a blanket for it today, and I think I will unplug it. I put a wifi thermostat on it, so I can turn the heat on if necessary from home.....
There may not be time to do the job right, but there is always time to do the job over!!
AggieAces06
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Make sure to pay attention to the weather coming up. Looks like several nights well below freezing coming up. You might want to check faucet covers and other exterior pipes while you're in town.
aggie59
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College Station electric rates are higher than Bryans.You do not have the option to purchase from another provider. In past years the utilities put money into the general revenue fund,I"m sure this is true today.Hidden taxes.
Kaniro
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woodiewood1
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For a small square foot dwelling, your electricity cost will be about 1/2 the bill. The City charges you for road maintenance and drainage which to me should be covered by the high and increasing property taxes.

They also need to keep the electricity high so they can transfer monies to the general fund for their pet projects. To me, electrical revenues should stay with the utility department and reserved for future needs or credited or given back to the consumers.

maroon barchetta
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But they need money to plant trees in medians during an historic drought!
duffelpud
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Welkome to the People's Republik of Kollege Stashun, komrade!
"What's this button do?"
Roxie146
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Speaking of trees in medians. Apparently TXDOT is going to put in the "diamond" configuration at University and the bypass.

All those trees are destined to be bulldozed.

Surely they could be replanted elsewhere. What a waste of money and an environmental disaster.
Hittag1492
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Roxie146 said:

Speaking of trees in medians. Apparently TXDOT is going to put in the "diamond" configuration at University and the bypass.

All those trees are destined to be bulldozed.

Surely they could be replanted elsewhere. What a waste of money and an environmental disaster.
Hopefully they can relocate them. You are dead on as far as the complete waste of money, that was true before this when they put them there in the first place! As far as an environmental disaster-not so much. Overall, that entire project was a ridiculous fiasco.
Roxie146
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only environmental because a dead tree is a dead tree - while I am not a tree hugger, yet, the loss of arbor is a loss of habitat for birds……… and other critters

Eventually that WILL be a disaster.

And I liked the trees - it "beautified" the area
Hittag1492
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Roxie146 said:

only environmental because a dead tree is a dead tree - while I am not a tree hugger, yet, the loss of arbor is a loss of habitat for birds……… and other critters

Eventually that WILL be a disaster.

And I liked the trees - it "beautified" the area


No argument-just need more than a patch of trees to see it as a disaster. Just a bit much, but-semantics.

I never liked it as it was so forced with how they smashed all the different trees in there to look natural-and it, of course, looked absolutely anything but. And the cost was asinine for what it was. I have a feeling the birds will be dine in the end overall. Nature is a lot tougher than we are.

That said-back to topic. Did not mean to derail.
woodiewood1
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Roxie146 said:

Speaking of trees in medians. Apparently TXDOT is going to put in the "diamond" configuration at University and the bypass.

All those trees are destined to be bulldozed.

Surely they could be replanted elsewhere. What a waste of money and an environmental disaster.
There's a million trees in the low lands across Hwy 6 that also has water sources. Much better habitat for birds and other wildlife than a dry mowed open tree stand.

FamousAgg
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TAMU1990 said:

I've been told one factor is kids skipping out on their bills when they leave town. How true that is I don't know.

BTU generates some of its own power, that can be cheaper than buying it line CSU does
Bryanisbest
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BTU: one of the best things about Bryan.
Roxie146
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Amen.

And College Station should be grateful that BTU can provide what it can not.

BucketofBalls99
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woodiewood1 said:

Roxie146 said:

Speaking of trees in medians. Apparently TXDOT is going to put in the "diamond" configuration at University and the bypass.

All those trees are destined to be bulldozed.

Surely they could be replanted elsewhere. What a waste of money and an environmental disaster.
There's a million trees in the low lands across Hwy 6 that also has water sources. Much better habitat for birds and other wildlife than a dry mowed open tree stand.



I agree with you about the trees and such. But (imo) this is happening everywhere!! No one cares about nature spaces, trees, etc anymore. I see it the most with all of these new neighborhoods. They will just go in and completely bulldoze every tree down. I mean, I guess they have to because they put the houses all so close together, the trees would end up getting stressed and die anyways if they left some. I guess we should get the jump on the business the little guy in The Lorax had of selling canned fresh air.
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