When you first signed up with your power company

[Scouzer]

For my new apartment, they want $200 plus whatever the useage is on my first bill. If you do twelve months without being late, they give you the deposit back. That sucks!

Is that normal?

 

[mb]

Yup. I had to pay $275. The only way to avoid the fee, here at least, is if you previously paid utilities elsewhere.

 

[bandana163]

No, but I live in Europe.

 

[DCFife]

Yes, that's normal. If you ever move to another city with a different power company you can use your old bill as proof of your reliability.

 

[altonb1]

Originally posted by: supafly
Yup. I had to pay $275. The only way to avoid the fee, here at least, is if you previously paid utilities elsewhere.

A deposit is pretty standard. I moved from an apt where utils were included, so I hadn't had service in about 4 years. As a result, they wanted a deposit. I'm not sure how, but we somehow weaseled out of it, though.

 

[LikeLinus]

When we moved it was $150, but they apply it to your account after 1 year of no late payments. So you end up not paying for a month or two a year later. Fine by me.

 

[thomsbrain]

the very first time i signed up, they required one. i've never needed another one at any subsequent homes.

 

[puffff]

never had to. but i've heard some utility companies run credit checks on new customers, and could ask for deposits based on that.

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: DCFife
Yes, that's normal. If you ever move to another city with a different power company you can use your old bill as proof of your reliability.

Yep, happened to me. No deposit required for anything even though the phone company was different.

 

[MichaelD]

I never paid one in Texas, but when I moved to Nebraska, I found out it was standard procedure for NEW customers.

In Omaha, the deposit is 2x whatever the highest monthly bill for your address was last year. In my case, it was almost $300. But, I got every penny back when I moved out. It paid off my last month's bill, plus I got about $50 refunded to my checking account.

*shrug* A worthwhile investment, if you wanna call it that. No harm, no foul.

 

[cavemanmoron]

yes was $250. in 1999.

On my 2nd home, too.

 

[montanafan]

Yes, that's the way it is for any new address here. You get it all back in credits to your bill a year later though.

 

[FrozenCanadian]

Yup I have to pay a $200 deposit just to change the name on the bill (still in my old roommates name). Gas was worse they wanted a $400 deposit (have gas heating). Good thing is they just credited me for it so my gas is free this winter.

 

[erub]

haven't had to pay a deposit on either of my two addresses, first in College Station, TX, then Atlanta, GA..of course i had good credit card credit when i got my first electric bill in my name

 

[Saga]

Originally posted by: MichaelD
I never paid one in Texas, but when I moved to Nebraska, I found out it was standard procedure for NEW customers.

In Omaha, the deposit is 2x whatever the highest monthly bill for your address was last year. In my case, it was almost $300. But, I got every penny back when I moved out. It paid off my last month's bill, plus I got about $50 refunded to my checking account.

*shrug* A worthwhile investment, if you wanna call it that. No harm, no foul.

If you read the fine print, OPPD allows you to forgo the security deposit if you have a current customer sign a document that basically states they vouch for you.

 

[flexy]

Originally posted by: Scouzer
For my new apartment, they want $200 plus whatever the useage is on my first bill. If you do twelve months without being late, they give you the deposit back. That sucks!

Is that normal?

depends on credit.

I was lucky..otherwise i would've had to pay $300 deposit (!) for turning power/internet/cable on here in Jackson, TN.

 

[Syringer]

Originally posted by: Scouzer
For my new apartment, they want $200 plus whatever the useage is on my first bill. If you do twelve months without being late, they give you the deposit back. That sucks!

Is that normal?

Yes

 

[DrPizza]

Nope, not here...

 

[Heisenberg]

Nope, never had to do that in any of the three cities I've lived in.

 

[RelaxTheMind]

$150 but i opted to lay it over 3 months ($50/month for 3 months)

 

[FoBoT]

it is normal, until you get to be "elderly" or move to a rural area, then maybe you don't have to

 

[EyeMWing]

Yes. In fact, various utilities are currently holding like, $600 that rightfully belongs to me.

 

[440sixpack]

Yep, when my business moved to a new location last summer we had do five of them, at $200 a pop.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Strange. My electric company did when I first started college. My phone company required an extra ~$25. Nothing from cable. When I moved to another state, I had no deposits.

 

[Zorro]

Yep $200.00 For Hydro