Question RE: Xfering WAPA/Utilities

amanda-

wapa actually isn't too bad to deal with. just long lines. if you go there as soon as they open (i think 9am), then the wait isn't too bad. i've only transfered utilities into my account as a renter - which was $25 to transfer. but as an owner, i think it cost a little more. i won't know until kendra and i sign on our house. chris and laura had to do it, but i'm not sure what it cost. i'll ask laura later tonight. plus i think you need to give a deposit, somewhere in the neighborhood of $100. once i find out some more info, i'll let you know.

-adam
p.s. kendra and i are passing through charlotte tomorrow (tuesday). hopefully we won't get stuck there (flying standby). the flight from stx-clt is wide open, but the clt-seattle flight is pretty booked. maybe i'll call ya if we get stuck. 😉

hey! do you have much of a layover? we live like 15min from the airport!

You need to give a deposit, i believe it's an average of the highest and lowest bills. We just had someone transfer ours for a unit in Mahogany Run. I'll find out the details for you.

🙂

amanda-

we have an hour and a half. not really time to go and do somethin. but if you want me to bring up some rum, let me know tonight. i could try and meet you at baggage claim. but you never know what's going to happen to usair. they seem to always leave late out of stx. let me know if you need/want anything from here. i'll make a quick run to the store tomorrow am if you do.

-adam

Hey Amanda-
We're in the process of closing on a condo at Colony Cove. Our lawyer who is doing the closing offered to transfer the utilities for us. She said it would be $125.00. Hope that helps....

Thanks everyone!

I just transferred service to my name from my landlord's name. They made me put down a $225 deposit. They said it recently went up. This is on STT. Anyone know if I am paying too much? My first bill was outrageous and I am contesting it. I hope it gets fixed. I can't afford this and I don't even have air conditioning nor a washer or dryer. I was paying my landlord for the current, but he went stateside and I had to get it in my name. My bill was four times last month's bill and nothing new had been plugged in.

Teresa

Teresa: Is it possible you are paying your landlord's bill, too??

WAPA has raised their rates 8 times (i think i read) this year and it is a BIG discussion on the radio talk show - some places can't even run the a/c now. 1/1 on STX WITHOUT using a/c is about $150 month.
OUCH!

Hey - I just found out that the deposit for our condo was $250.

Unplug all electrical items when not in use to save money. Most appliances are "electrical vampires" and draw current when turned off, yet still plugged into the wall. OK....I know I am a geek.

Ok, Teresa, I feel your pain. Our bill this month jumped $90!
Definitely unplug (if feasible) electronics with those little lights/clocks (e.g. DVD players, VCRs).

Thanks everyone. WAPA actually called me and is actively investigating. I use actively loosely, but for them to call me and talk to me about it was impressive. There is no transfered amount on the bill, I am only charged for the top floor of the one house, and they have the meter readings. They are coming out again to figure out the problem. They had assumed that I added air cond. which I had not done. Our highest bill was $180. After transferring to my name our bill went to $651 and change. We literally have not added anything, except a new pump. I am doing tests on the meter by unplugging everything and seeing if it stops turning so quickly, etc. I am also seeing how much current is used when the pump runs. I hope to have an explanation soon. I can't afford to live if all my electric bills are this high!

Teresa

Just went thru the WAPA ordeal. Originally we were told $125 about a month before closing. Then when a phone call was made to verify, the deposit had gone to $225 (they did have an increase). The day we went to have it turned on (the prior owner had turned everything off), they changed again. Not only was it $225, but now they are looking at the prior bills and averaging them to get a deposit. We ended paying $311.00 for the deposit (2/2 condo). Additionally, WAPA had the prior owner's name wrong on the account so they couldn't find the meter. Keeping in mind that we had someone take care of this for us, they had to call the HOA maintenance guy to crawl under the condo to get both the meter numbers (2 units in the bldg) so that WAPA could figure out which one was ours. I'd say it was a 2-3 hour ordeal.

Phone was easy, $25 deposit. We had nothing extra put on our phone. Innovative, which was cable & dsl, was hefty, mainly for the connection fee & equipment (3 TVs).

Deb

Regarding phone, we had Innovative suppress 900#s and long distance calling. People who stay at the house (us and vacation rental guests) can make local phone calls but if they want to call toll numbers, they use cell phone or calling card. This is the easiest method to avoid a surprise bill as well as it allows faster turnaround of the deposit of our rental guests. Don't have to wait until the phone bill arrives before we return the deposit.

Regarding WAPA/electricity consumption, we turn off all breakers except those for the refrigerators. And, when the house is vacant, we put a few gallons of water in the frig. and turn down very low. We didn't do these things in the early stages but can confirm that the measure does signficantly reduce the WAPA bill. Though it makes perfect sense, I was amazed how much electricity was consumed when the house was vacant.

Water heaters are the biggest consumers. You need to put them on timers.
FL Barrier: Did Innovative charge you extra for it? I know when I requested no long distance, the tenants would cleverly use the dial up numbers for the different carriers(like 1-800-att and I would get long distance bills. Now I have to pay them $3.50 extra a month to assure no long distance carriers will be used. Collect calls can still be accepted though. Have not discussed that with them yet.

RL

We have to pay that amount extra (i think, i know we pay for it but not sure how much) for our phone bill too... When we were setting it up we asked to block all those LD calls, never thought about 800#'s though!

Amanda

No One time Charge or monthly recurring charges for the suppression of all toll calls. We haven't had any charges show up on the bill for calling card access #s (like 1-800-att) and actually, when I try to use my calling card or when trying to access my ISP via toll free dial-up, message came up basically telling me what I was doing wasn't allowed. Local numbers are ok of course.

I purchase a calling card from Gourmet Gallery (and advise my guests to do the same) if I want to make terristrial call and the CC (purchased locally) access # does work.....and I don't get a charge on my Innovative bill. Probably could get calling card cheaper from somewhere else locally in STT but.....I'm on Water Island and for some reason I only remember the dang calling card when I'm sitting at Tickles, sipping a cool drink, waiting for the ferry. Go figure. So, I always gotten the CC from GG in Crown Bay Marina.