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Doesn't the city fine you for not having a green lawn though? Power also seemed to be significantly more expensive at nearly 14 cents per kWh, which can get spe

Doesn't the city fine you for not having a green lawn though? Power also seemed to be significantly more expensive at nearly 14 cents per kWh, which can get spendy with AC being nearly mandatory with how hot it gets in the summer. Additionally, another downside I noticed when I was there was that around 2am in the summer, the streets are often flooded due to people watering their lawns. Besides the absent or poor pedestrian infrastructure, this made my after work walk quite a bit more complicated.

LeifCarrotson 8y ago
I've never heard of the city fining you for not having a green lawn. You can get in trouble for not mowing, and if you're in an HOA, maybe they require watering, but my lawn stays plenty green without any sprinkling. My electric bill is about $80 in the summer to keep my $125k, 2000 sqft house at 72F. Not too bad IMO. And everyone (40% of the houses in my neighborhood?) who waters their lawn does so at dawn and dusk, not 2AM. If you water in the middle of the night when the grass is cold and dormant, you can get mold.
toomanybeersies 8y ago
If you think that's expensive, try living in Australia. Air conditioning is mandatory some areas, with temperatures in Sydney peaking over 40 C (105 F) in the summer, and electricity costs 27 cents per kWh (US$0.20).
- tbihl 8y ago
  That's ridiculously cheap electricity! I assume that's just the lowest tier? Can most people make it through the month at that rate, or do the rates typically jump mid-way through?
  - toomanybeersies 8y ago
    It's not really cheap. 20 cents per kWh is double the US average. Australia has some of the most expensive electricity prices in the world, as Australia is completely incapable of managing its infrastructure properly.
    - tbihl 8y ago
      Mine starts at 27 cents for the cheapest tier, then jumps to 48 and 55 cents for higher use. I'm looking forward to paying the US average some day.
  - StudentStuff 8y ago
    Ridiculously cheap power to me means 2 to 4 cents per kWh. I consider 11 cents per kWh (which is what Seattle's rates are) to be extremely high, especially compared to areas just outside Seattle proper.
    - tbihl 8y ago
      Well, I guess I'm in for a price cut someday when I move to a different part of the country. My electric starts at $0.27/kWh, then goes up to $0.48, then $0.55 for higher usage. I have no idea what the cutoffs are for hitting those higher tiers, as I've never done it.

LeifCarrotson 8y ago

I've never heard of the city fining you for not having a green lawn. You can get in trouble for not mowing, and if you're in an HOA, maybe they require watering, but my lawn stays plenty green without any sprinkling. My electric bill is about $80 in the summer to keep my $125k, 2000 sqft house at 72F. Not too bad IMO. And everyone (40% of the houses in my neighborhood?) who waters their lawn does so at dawn and dusk, not 2AM. If you water in the middle of the night when the grass is cold and dormant, you can get mold.

toomanybeersies 8y ago

If you think that's expensive, try living in Australia. Air conditioning is mandatory some areas, with temperatures in Sydney peaking over 40 C (105 F) in the summer, and electricity costs 27 cents per kWh (US$0.20).

tbihl 8y ago
That's ridiculously cheap electricity! I assume that's just the lowest tier? Can most people make it through the month at that rate, or do the rates typically jump mid-way through?
- toomanybeersies 8y ago
  It's not really cheap. 20 cents per kWh is double the US average. Australia has some of the most expensive electricity prices in the world, as Australia is completely incapable of managing its infrastructure properly.
  - tbihl 8y ago
    Mine starts at 27 cents for the cheapest tier, then jumps to 48 and 55 cents for higher use. I'm looking forward to paying the US average some day.
- StudentStuff 8y ago
  Ridiculously cheap power to me means 2 to 4 cents per kWh. I consider 11 cents per kWh (which is what Seattle's rates are) to be extremely high, especially compared to areas just outside Seattle proper.
  - tbihl 8y ago
    Well, I guess I'm in for a price cut someday when I move to a different part of the country. My electric starts at $0.27/kWh, then goes up to $0.48, then $0.55 for higher usage. I have no idea what the cutoffs are for hitting those higher tiers, as I've never done it.