Thanks for all the replies. As long as you are talking about other utilities, here is my rundown for all my utilities and car insurance in the Ohio Valley. BTW, I really like the $6 per month water bill person! We pay about $25 for 2 months of trash pickup.(just went up 18%) We pay $1800 per year in property tax on our $190,000 house Our water bill averages about $64 with college kid and $45 per month without kid and covers our sewage as well. Car insurance is pretty cheap. About $400 to $450 per year for a new car under $20,000 with full coverage and $500D We use NG to heat. We keep the thermostat set at 64 at night and keep the heat off during the day. House gets down into the low 50's in daytime. I usually turn on the heat around 9 PM and shut it down at 8 or 9 am. To heat this way cost us $250 a month to heat a modern 2400 sq ft house. (including garage as it has some water pipes in its ceiling). We've been told our gas bill will go up almost 30% this season. Summer gas bill is the minim about $24 per month. As the NG runs out prices for all heating methods will only keep climbing. Even the coal will run out someday. Winter '08 they said they had a coal crisis brewing in China. Some say water will peak too and we had better know how to do the 'rain catchment' thing.

And just wait until thoes santa ana winds start blowing in So. Cal. I live about a mile from the santa ana river and wonder how many people living in the houses next to it have built a sneaky little well in the backyard. My best friend used to go into the river channel when he was a kid and knock down all the berms they built with the bulldozers so the river could run free. I like to go down to the bike path sometimes and watch herons wading in the slow moving water. Somewhere around the Anaheim Stadium, it dries out. The way they manage it, it doesn't seem like a river to me until the a big rain washes all the berms away. Anyway, that river soil grows good roses. We planted some rugosas and other antiques over there by the bike path so the wildlife could have them. Also, neither of us had space in our yard for the really big roses so we put them there where the plants put in by the county died out.

Just the water portion of my bill was $40, a little over twice that with the waste water, solid waste and other fees added. I water a flower bed in front, a couple of trees and a squash and watermelon patch in back. Also have a 3ft x 10ft grow box and assorted potted plants and a couple of very small areas with grass growing among stepping stones.

To OP, definitely get off budget plan. The current/previous owner may either owe the gas co, or be due a credit.I assume they will settle up the bill when the house changes ownership from the to you. Was it an older person? Setting it at 75 sounds like an elderly person and they probably also ran it in the spring/fall much more than you would. I would get the system checked for safety, but not do much else until you see what the real gas usage will be once you live there. My house was built 1996, only 1 zone unlike Mike, who I think has 2 zones. My total gas for last year was about $1040 (may 2011 to april 2012--the year before was colder and was close to $1400). So, for a similar size house of the same age I spent $1040. That was with a 91% furnace (your new home probably has 80), adding back 10% (for 80% furnace-just a guess on the cost) brings it to $1180, which is about $100/month on a plan. Unless your furnace has a big problem I would guess the explanation is an older person who likes it really warm. (I am in NJ, I don't know how much more or less $ gas rates are where you are) My bills seem to be in line with veesubotee's, another poster from NJ. Keep stat at 68 or less during the day and 62-64 at bedtime. ALSO, they may have gotten behind on their bills. I know someone whose current elec bills are quite high due to a high past due balance being worked into the "payment plan"