Filed under Apartment Basics on October 1st, 2008:
Tips for Setting Up Apartment Utilities
Rental deposits aren’t the only financial concern you’ll have as you set up your new Orlando apartment. Unless you have impeccable credit and manage to get really lucky, you’re going to have to be utility savvy. Even if you do manage to escape paying deposits, the more you know about utilities, the more you can save yourself in the long run.
So, what do you need to know about apartment utilities? A whole lot more than you probably thought! Let’s look at some of the finer points of getting things hooked up, turned on and running. These tips should help you out:
Know what you need – A lot of Orlando apartment complexes come with some utilities included. It is possible that you will even land a place that offers all Orlando utilities included, minus maybe the phone and cable. In most circumstances, included utilities are limited to garbage pickup, natural gasand water. This means you are likely to find yourself paying for cable, electric, telephone and Internet.
Watch out for set up fees – Many Orlando utility companies will offer some basic incentive packages for set up, but don’t count on getting a break from everyone. There is a very good chance you’ll have to pay installation costs for things like cable and telephone service. Do your research and ask the different utility companies in your area questions about rates. You should even check to see if any offer set up waivers for special package buys or new accounts. It doesn’t hurt to ask and it could save you some serious cash.
Monthly service fees – Some utilities like natural gas charge services fees every month, especially if they go through a third party provider. Also beaware that you could pay a monthly rental fee for cable boxes or modems for internet service. These fees add up quickly on a monthly statement.
Look for package deals – In this day and age of competition between cable and telephone companies, you can land some rather decent package deal prices on utilities. Check with both types of providers. In many cases, it is simply a whole lot cheaper to roll telephone, cable television and Internet service into a single package. Some companies even toss cell phone service into the mix.
Go with only what you need – If you find your budget a little too stretched already and shopping around for packages isn’t helping, go with the basics until you get settled. You can get by without cable television for a bit. All you really need to function is water, power and a phone to call out when it’s necessary.
Hooking up utilities can cost more than many people realize. If you shop around, look at package deals and seek out installation waivers, you can save a great deal of money in the process. It does pay to be picky about utilities.