Do you have the power? Some may want it while others don’t because of how their utility bill is paid. Even though spending money on water and power is the last thing people want to think about during the holiday, for some residents that leave Athens, they will spend the same amount on utilities regardless of their use. Some owners’ leases have utilities included in rent while others pay their bill separately. But if you don’t use it, do you lose it?

Eclipse’s property manager Jennifer Hemmer says that the “unused” utility money is out of mangers’ hands.

“As far as if you go under the allotted amount, I don’t have an answer for that.” Hemmer said. “We try to make it easier so that they don’t have to go out and pay a deposit here and there for their utilities.”

Some residents consider it a tradeoff to not deal with paying multiple bills.

 

Regardless of how you pay your bill, you may want to be cautious with cold weather moving in and leaving for the holidays. The thought of a burst pipe with a flooded home is the last thing anyone wants to deal with.

Last year, Will Jones woke up one morning to find his basement flooded. He had a pipe freeze overnight, and it cost him several days of cleaning.

“The pipe thawed out in the morning,” Jones said. “It expanded and burst, and we didn’t notice it for about an hour. So we came down and the whole basement was flooded.”

In order to help keep your pipes intact and your house unflooded, you can do the following:

• leave a slight water drip from each faucet
• open cabinet doors that lead to water pipes
• set thermostat to a constant temperature day and night

Awareness of what cold weather may bring may keep your Thanksgiving holiday a little happier.