Power
Visit gru.com/welcome for more tools and resources to make your move easier.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR UTILITIES
Online Tools and Application
Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) offers electric, gas, water, wastewater, and telecommunications services. Avoid the crowd and take care of your service changes at gru.com/welcome to make your move as seamless and stress-free as possible. The website has everything you need to start, stop, or move your utility services, including an online application.
International Students
International students must visit the GRU Administration Building to request service. Please bring your passport and any supporting documentation.
Connections
Connection requests are processed on a first-come, first-served basis and connection schedules fill up quickly. Complete your service application as soon as possible to reserve your preferred move-in date. Same-day connections are available on a limited basis for an additional $40. To request connections call 352-334-3434 during regular business hours.
Account Management Tools
Sign up for eBill, GRU’s paperless billing option, at gru.com/ebill to receive and pay your monthly bill online. GRU also offers recurring bank drafts so that you will never miss a payment. Visit gru.com/pay for a list of payment options.
ENERGY-SAVING TIPS FOR RENTERS
Visit GRU’s Resources for Renters page at gru.com/welcome before you sign a lease on an apartment or rental home. Use the tools to investigate the utility history of your potential new place, manage your electric and water use, and keep future monthly utility bills low. Below are tips for tackling the highest energy users in your new home.
Air Conditioning & Heating
› Set your thermostat to 68°F or lower during winter and 78°F or higher during summer. For every degree you stray from the recommended setting, your bill may increase up to 4 percent. Also, keep the thermostat fan in the “auto” position instead of the “on” position.
› Don’t place lamps, TV sets, or other heat producers near your thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, causing the A/C to run longer than necessary.
› Use fans and keep the A/C at a recommended setting. Turn off fans when rooms are empty.
Water
› About 80 percent of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water. Try washing clothes in cold water, your clothes will be just as clean as if you used warm or hot water.
› Make sure your dishwasher is completely full before running it, then let the dishes air dry. If you don’t have an automatic air-dry switch, turn off the control knob after the final rinse and prop the door open a little.
› Check for running toilets by adding a few drops of food coloring to the water in the tank. If the color shows up in the bowl, contact maintenance to repair the leak.
› Install low-flow showerheads to save 25 to 60 percent in water usage.
Windows
› During summer, close your shades to block sunlight, reduce heat gain, and reduce the time the A/C runs.
› During the winter, open your shades during the day to let in heat from sunlight. Close the shades at night to keep heat from escaping through windows.
› Check for windows that are broken, do not close properly, or need to be caulked. Drafty windows can allow your expensive air conditioning to escape.
Policies
CITY CODES AND STATE STATUTES
There are city codes and state laws all residents must abide by, including regulations on noise, alcohol, parking, etc. For city codes, go to the City of Gainesville website cityofgainesville.org and click on Government, then click on Code of Ordinances. For state statutes, see flsenate.gov/laws/statutes. Below are the most common codes and state statutes pertinent to student life at UF.
NOISE (municode: 15.1)
Noise disturbance is any sound which:
- Disturbs a reasonable person of normal sensitivities
- Exceeds the sound level units set forth in the ordinance
- Is plainly audible as any noise or sound that can be clearly heard by a person using his/her faculties at a distance of 200 feet or more from the real property line of the source of the sound or noise.
OPEN HOUSE PARTIES (statute 865.015)
This is a State Statute that maintains any open house or apartment parties that include alcohol, drugs, minors consuming drugs or alcohol, large amounts of people, and loud noise are a violation of this statute. A violation can result in a warning or residents of the house or apartment could be arrested.
ALCOHOL
UF and the City of Gainesville are committed to enforcing the laws and ordinances regarding alcohol use and underage drinking. The legal drinking age is 21. Anyone younger than 21 caught drinking, either on or off-campus, can face fines and possible arrest.
DISORDERLY CONDUCT
This includes promoting or provoking a disturbance, brawl, assault or nuisance. Fighting words, unlawful congregation that hinders pedestrian or vehicular traffic, resisting or hindering the performance of duties by a police officer or city official, or damaging or destroying personal or private property are violations of this ordinance.
PARKING
In Gainesville’s residential areas, passenger vehicles are permitted to be parked on approved driveways or designated city street parking with a decal. Parking in the front yard of a residence, other than on an approved surface, is not allowed.
TENANT BILL OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
As part of the Gainesville City Code tenants living within the City of Gainesville have certain rights provided by the City Code of Ordinances in two broad categories – the right to rental housing without discrimination and the right to rental housing that meets minimum living standards. Visit the City of Gainesville website at cityofgainesville.org for more information
Contact the City of Gainesville Code Enforcement at (352) 334-5030 for more information.
Pets
ARE YOU READY FOR A PET?
How do you know you are ready for a pet? Answer the following questions to find out.
- Are you willing to spend at least $1,000 a year on veterinarian bills?
- Are you willing and able to spend at least $50 a month on food bills?
- Are you able to spend at least eight hours a day with your pet?
- Is your pet able to travel with you?
- Can you afford daycare or boarding if you travel?
- Are you willing and able to spend time training your pet?
- Is your potential pet a restricted bread or pet with your apartment?
If you answered no to any of these questions, you are probably not ready for a pet.
Having pets is a lot of responsibility as they need constant care. Some people don’t have the time, money or ability to take care of a pet. Here are some extra tips:
- When signing a lease, get clear, written permission for having pets.
- Having a pet can be a wonderful and fulfilling experience. To ensure the health and safety of your pet, it’s important to register your pet with the Alachua County Animal Services.
- When caring for your pet, consider using UF’s Veterinary College Small Animal Hospital. Call (352) 392-2235 to set up an appointment during regular hours, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., or in case of an emergency. For more information visit their website, smallanimal.vethospital.ufl.edu.
- If it seems like it is not quite the right time to own a pet but you still love dogs or cats, check out one of the local animal shelters or rescues and become a volunteer. Volunteers foster, walk dogs, play with cats, give baths and help others find the perfect pet. See below for a list of local pet rescues.
HOW TO REGISTER/LICENSE YOUR PET
All pets within Alachua County must be registered. A current rabies vaccination is required to register your pet. You must show proof of pet vaccination to the Alachua County Animal Services office. There is a fee to license your pet. To check for costs, please visit the Alachua County Animal Services website alachuacounty.us.
The Alachua County Animal Services office will issue your pet a set of tags that it must wear at all times. You can be fined if your pet is not wearing its tags!
Alachua County Animal Services:
Website: alachuacounty.us
Address: 3400 NE 53rd Avenue Gainesville, Florida 32609
Phone: (352) 264-6870
LOCAL DOG PARKS
Squirrel Ridge Dog Park: 1603 SW Williston Rd Gainesville, Florida 32608
Haisley Lynch Dog Park: 450 S. Main St Gainesville, FL 32601
Possum Creek Park: 4009 NW 53rd Ave Gainesville, Fl 32653
Tom Petty Dog Park: 1224 NW 5th Terr Gainesville, FL 32608
Must Love Dogs Park: 5505 SW Archer Rd Gainesville, FL 32608 $
$ - entrance cost
Animal Services & Rescue Agencies
Alachua County Animal Services: alchuacounty.us/depts/animalservices
Humane Society of North Central Florida: humanesocietyncfl.org
Faithful Friends Pet Rescue: faithfulfriendsrescue.org
Plenty of Pitbulls: popb.org
Gainesville Rabbit Rescue: gainesvillerabbitrescue.org