If you are using the standard TREC One to Four Family Residential Contract that agents in Texas use, then they are supposed to keep utilities on while the contract is in effect. 

My money is on his answer being quite different from what @Joe Gore said, and along the lines of what @Jerry W. stated.I am not a lawyer, but I believe that a multi-owner LLC that is run properly will insulate against external liabilities effecting the assets.

For me, since I don't know maintenance or anything like that, being within driving distance to any of my properties wouldn't be more effective than when I'm not because I don't know what I could do in person anyway.

The income from the machines covers to the cost of the water, natural gas, electricity and machine maintenance for the shared laundry, on a very tight margin.We thought about separately metering the 8 apartments for water and installing W/D hookups or providing W/D in each to make the units more marketable, but it wasn't cost effective for us to do so. 

Will it be effective or a waste of time?

This is generally cheaper but any claims you have due to renters will effect your homeowners premiums for years to come.

All to no effect.

So when I am purchasing they do not effect me one way or another.

Not always effective 

In effect, that's a price reduction, because they're going to make up for it on profits from doing your mortgage too.