<p>Can anyone comment on utilities when moving off campus?
Who are the providers ( light, gas, water, internet, etc) and what kind of deposits are needed?
Thanks!</p>
<p>My son lives at the lofts and we have the utility package for $40 a month. Makes life simple.</p>
<p>Alabama Power is for the electricity, City of Tuscaloosa for the water, and Comcast for the tv/Internet. I signed up for all of the utilities so that there wouldn’t be big hookup fees. Comcast charges to set up and the water has a $60 deposit.</p>
<p>Check out info at the Off Campus Housing Association. You can find a link on the UA web page for housing. If you join they set up utilities as well as other perks of joining. DD handled utilities for her of campus house for 2 years and joined this group both years.</p>
<p>Many apts include water. Some have an “allowance” for electricity built into the rent, but if you use too much, then there’s an overage charge. Some don’t cover any electricity and it’s all on you.</p>
<p>Some provide cable, some don’t. </p>
<p>There really isn’t one standard way.</p>
<p>However, I think that the apts that are more truly set up to be Student Apt (where each bedroom has its own lease) do include a lot with the rent to make it easier on everyone…less collecting money/splitting bills between roomies).</p>
<p>I’ve been wondering about utilities too. D is moving into The Retreat next year. They have a reputation of utility overage gauging so the girls opted out. However, I don’t think they’ve thought through the logistics of splitting the cost of several different utilities among 4 girls.</p>
<p>Don’t they have checking accounts? I would have one person take care of the bills and then have the others write a check (or even an e-check through their bank’s online system).</p>
<p>However, I don’t think they’ve thought through the logistics of splitting the cost of several different utilities among 4 girls.</p>
<p>Splitting utilities can become a pain. Unless the kids can agree upon a heat-temp level and an A/C temp level there could be squabbles involving, “you should pay more because you insist on keeping the A/C at 60!” Or…" you take long hot showers so you should pay more."</p>
<p>It seemed like every month my son’s unit had overages.</p>
<p>DS is looking into a one bedroom unit in one if the older buildings within walking distance from UA so he will not have the problem of splitting utilities. Most of these units do not have a utilities package…,</p>
<p>DS is in an older one bedroom close to campus this year. They cover water and garbage but we have to cover electricity and cable/internet. We were able to co-sign with Comcast and Alabama Power so a deposit wasn’t necessary. I think we paid maybe a $40 start up fee for each.</p>
<p>Lakesmom- I sent you a private message.</p>
<p>On overages:</p>
<p>My son is at the Woodlands and we are paying the $40 for the all-inclusive package. When he first toured, he asked about overages since he knew that would be a concern for me and was told that there are normally no overages except when the units are occupied over the summer and the air conditioners are running. After he signed the lease, I got a chance to go down and look at the units and I asked again about overages and was told that there were rarely overages and when there were they are generally only a few dollars per resident.</p>
<p>So I was a bit shocked when his very first month all 4 residents had a nearly $40 overage. My son was able to go to the office and get copies of the water and electric bills and the unit used more than twice the power than any of the previous 12 months.</p>
<p>So, my son made sure the heat and AC were turned off in the unit, we discussed running the dishwasher less frequently, we discussed making sure laundry was done in full loads, and other common sense ways to decrease usage.</p>
<p>I just saw his bill for month 2 - he has an overage of over $50. That means their unit is paying well over $300 for electric and water. That’s more than I’m paying for my house that’s more than twice the size and in the winter temperatures 500 miles to the north. </p>
<p>I don’t fault the Woodlands since they have provided and I am able to view the actual bill from the electric company, but what are these boys possibly doing to consume that much electricity???</p>
<p>^^^Thankful son is in a dorm. Lord knows he uses a lot of energy. Multi tasker supreme, running the computer, the TV, and if he had one in the dorm, a video game system at the same time. Thankful for this thread, as these are things to consider when we look at grad school housing next year.</p>
<p>If they have Xboxs tell them to keep them unplugged they are huge power hogs and draw constant electricity.</p>
<p>I think the Woodlands lied to you when they said that other residents rarely have overages. It’s very doubtful that THESE boys are so unusual that ONLY THEY waste power. These are kids…they ALL waste power. They all do small laundry loads, they all run the AC/Heat to whatever’s comfortable for them.</p>
<p>My son was at the Retreat and he routinely had overages of $20 or so per person (5 person unit).</p>
<p>things that heat and things that cool are the big ones for using energy. Do the boys open the fridge often (boys do that). Do they stand there and stare at an open fridge (boys do that). Do they take long showers? </p>
<p>Do they use the microwave oven a lot? those draw a lot of power, however they’re usually only used for a few minutes at a time.</p>
<p>Girls tend to use heating hair products which draw a lot of power…blow dryers, curling irons, hair straighteners, etc. And, girls can take long showers or full baths as well.</p>
<p>TVs and electronics really do not draw that much power. Certainly not enough to add $200 a month to utilties.</p>
<p>I’m guessing that the kids have laptops? So they’re plugged in here and there? They’re each probably costing about $25 per year in power…about $2 a month. </p>
<p>Heck, if laptops and such drew so much power, the schools’ dorms would be costing the school a mint in power…and Starbucks and places would not offer free wifi and electricity for people to sit and plug in.</p>
<p>One thing that my son did realize is that because the thermostat was in a hallway where there wasn’t a vent, it wasn’t getting an accurate “read”. The kids kept their bedroom doors closed most of the time, so the A/C or heat would run and run even though the bedrooms and downstairs were getting enough heat/AC.</p>