$65 gas and $85 water? Is this average in OKC? (Delaware: renting, mortgage)

[marielblewis]

We are military and recently moved offbase. Our gas was $65 with no deposits or connection fees and we are only using a hot water heater. The water was $85 and while $20 is for trash service, that still seems REALLY high. Is this the average in OKC? We really can't afford bills this high. Is there some tohre reason our bills would be higher than average?

[mrdunn]

We live in NW OKC and our utility bill last month was as follows:

$56.71 Water and Trash
$90.95 Electric
$40.83 Gas

That is about normal for summer. The gas will be a little higher in the winter and the water and electric are a little lower. We have three kids so lots of laundry. I hope this helps.

[marielblewis]

Originally Posted by mrdunn

We live in NW OKC and our utility bill last month was as follows:

$56.71 Water and Trash
$90.95 Electric
$40.83 Gas

That is about normal for summer. The gas will be a little higher in the winter and the water and electric are a little lower. We have three kids so lots of laundry. I hope this helps.

Our electric was $130 I wish I knew why these bills were so much!

[Shubert]

It may depend on the appliances and ac unit and the size of where your living. If you own the home did you get an inspection before moving in?

[marielblewis]

We don't own, we are renting. The appliances are origional to the house which was built in 1983. I know they are old, but they are also very well maintained and the refridgerator (which generates most of the appliance electric) is much newer.

[zarabeth]

waving hello from Delaware

was browsing around and noticed this topic and out of curiousity peeked in....my mouth fell open at the rates.

You see, our electric is running between $250 and $450 per month, and our gas from $350 to $475...trash is $34.50.

We aren't home much, we have one teen left here, and the house is about 3850 square feet, so I am not sure how much I can compare living space to the others posting, but sheesh....it makes me look hard at the cost of living here as compared to other places....anyone out there with a similar sized house as mine, can tell me what they pay for utilities in Oklahoma???

[Synopsis]

I only wish our electric bills in Texas were that low! Our electric bill alone for last month was 170 dollars, and it wasn't even hot. Our July and August bills could run much, much higher. Some of my neighbors here in the DFW area have had $300, $400, and even upwards of $500 plus.

I think you're getting sticker shock from moving off base, where prices are probably regulated somewhat for military families (rightfully so too, for serving our country). As for Zarabeth's question about the utilities; I'm sure that utilities in Oklahoma are far lower than in the Northeast. The Northeast is pretty notorious for high prices. I wish I could help you out on the specifics, but I no longer live in Oklahoma and when I did I did not have such a large home.

[happytown]

No doubt^. I dont even understand the bills everyone is complaing about. It is way lower than most parts of the country if not all of the country. Many should look at ONG and OGE pamplats. They talk about simple ways to conserve on energy. Some pointers are very helpful. But, I think the old ways of turning off lights and dont let the water run while brushing your teeth are forgotten.

[gjmc]

Those bills are low to me. I pay more for all utilities than for a mortgage payment. My water is about $100.00 per month and gas or electric depending on the season run about $300.00 per month. Also, there is cable and phone and those are around $100.00. So, my utilities are very high to me, but I use what I need and there is just myself and one other in a house of about 1600 square feet. I live in an old very old leaky home and so that does not help, but I don't try to do without using what I need, such as lowering or raising thermostat. I want to be comfortable and will pay to be so. I also take sometimes two baths a day or rather a shower and bath especially in summer. So, lower bills are not an option for me, but my comfort is what I desire.

[dvxhd]

Originally Posted by gjmc

Those bills are low to me. I pay more for all utilities than for a mortgage payment. My water is about $100.00 per month and gas or electric depending on the season run about $300.00 per month. Also, there is cable and phone and those are around $100.00. So, my utilities are very high to me, but I use what I need and there is just myself and one other in a house of about 1600 square feet. I live in an old very old leaky home and so that does not help, but I don't try to do without using what I need, such as lowering or raising thermostat. I want to be comfortable and will pay to be so. I also take sometimes two baths a day or rather a shower and bath especially in summer. So, lower bills are not an option for me, but my comfort is what I desire.

Cost of living increase between now and seven years ago?