Bangor Hydro Cutting Electric Service To Nearly 40% Of It's Customers (Union: for sale, leases)

[Maineah]

Seems to me that most of these deadbeats can take their government stimulus checks and pay off the electric bill.
Another sure way to have enough money at the end of the month would be to cut out the weekly 1/2 gallon of coffee brandy at a savings of $25.00/week, the two gallons of milk at a savings of $7.20 a week, and the two cartons of Marlboro Lights at a savings of $60.00 a week. That's $92.00 a week! That will pay any power bill!

[BacktoNE]

Nearly half is a huge number of delinquent customers, but surely there would have been a way to cut back on something (as Maineah suggested) to at least send them $10 or $20 a month...enough to show intent to pay and keep your lights on. If there was nothing left to cut back on, then yes, this is a very scary number.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

No need to get excited about this. As the article says, it happens every year. You see the same thing in town reports where people choose not to pay their town property tax. It's an economic decision. They won't lose their home to the town. Renters do the same thing in Maine. They know they won't be kicked out of their rented apartment during the winter. State law prohibits it.

(Note to self: Never rent out property in Maine.)

[Coaster]

Originally Posted by Maineah

Seems to me that most of these deadbeats can take their government stimulus checks and pay off the electric bill.
Another sure way to have enough money at the end of the month would be to cut out the weekly 1/2 gallon of coffee brandy at a savings of $25.00/week, the two gallons of milk at a savings of $7.20 a week, and the two cartons of Marlboro Lights at a savings of $60.00 a week. That's $92.00 a week! That will pay any power bill!

So you're saying that 46,000 households in northern Maine are made up of alcoholic deadbeat smokers with calcium dependencies?

[txmom]

Originally Posted by Maineah

Seems to me that most of these deadbeats can take their government stimulus checks and pay off the electric bill.
Another sure way to have enough money at the end of the month would be to cut out the weekly 1/2 gallon of coffee brandy at a savings of $25.00/week, the two gallons of milk at a savings of $7.20 a week, and the two cartons of Marlboro Lights at a savings of $60.00 a week. That's $92.00 a week! That will pay any power bill!

Yeah, and what about the Dunkin' Donuts addiction? But why would you cut out milk? The kids need the vitamin D and calcium.

Oh I know, I've got a plan. Next winter we can shut the oil furnace off and put electric heaters in every room. We will then file the bill from Bangor Hydro into the "later" bin all winter. This will free up enough money to pay for the Vitamin D enriched milk in the coldest, darkest months (and the kids won't get rickets). In the summer, we'll take them off the milk and set up a payment plan with Bangor Hydro so that our electricity doesn't get cut off. The kids will run around in the sun to get free vitamin D, and I'm sure I can score some calcium supplements free from my Doctor (especially if I tell him osteoporosis runs in my family). I'll portion the supplements into kid-friendly portions, and they can wash them down with tap water.

[txmom]

I'll buy the electric heaters with our economic stimulus check.

[mollysmiles]

Just a bunch of smoke.....and it's true, it happens every single year. About November some people decide that they aren't going to pay their electric bill all winter, because the power company can not legally disconnect a customer during the months that may have a particular temperature range. That continues until April. These people have anywhere from one month to six months of unpaid electric bills coming due in May, and the number seems to increase each year. It would make sense that once this occurs, the power company would require that a payment arrangement be made in advance for the winter, but why bother when they can't really mandate payment? It's crazy, and the not the electric company's fault. These people have the ability to make a payment arrangement ahead of time, or now, in order to avoid disconnection.

[WILWRadio]

Originally Posted by mollysmiles

Just a bunch of smoke.....and it's true, it happens every single year. About November some people decide that they aren't going to pay their electric bill all winter, because the power company can not legally disconnect a customer during the months that may have a particular temperature range. That continues until April. These people have anywhere from one month to six months of unpaid electric bills coming due in May, and the number seems to increase each year. It would make sense that once this occurs, the power company would require that a payment arrangement be made in advance for the winter, but why bother when they can't really mandate payment? It's crazy, and the not the electric company's fault. These people have the ability to make a payment arrangement ahead of time, or now, in order to avoid disconnection.

While I find the reasoning behind this situation somewhat reassuring at least from an economic perspective, it troubles me because my business partner and I intend to start a small business if we move to Maine. This might be an indication that we'll have a tough time collecting debts when they are due.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

"But why would you cut out milk?"

It goes with the Allen's.

WILW, Most Mainers do pay their bills and have excellent credit ratings. Every society has its deadbeats and parasites. It doesn't take long to figure out who they are.

[mensaguy]

Originally Posted by WILWRadio

While I find the reasoning behind this situation somewhat reassuring at least from an economic perspective, it troubles me because my business partner and I intend to start a small business if we move to Maine. This might be an indication that we'll have a tough time collecting debts when they are due.

I can't see why you would have any more trouble collecting debts that any other business, assuming that you aren't selling a regulated utility like electricity.