Looking to move to Maine,No clue where LOCALS HELP!

[Jellybean50]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

<sigh>

Heating costs in Maine should not be 'shocking' as they would run near to any other Northern state.

I am sorry that this offends you so badly.

I do hope that Mandi_28 is able to find a CNA job for herself.

We do not use any fuel oil. We burn wood. Our house is 2400 sq ft and it goes through between 3 1/2 and 4 cords of wood each year.

I always find your posts (honesty and knowlege about Maine, especially since you moved from somewhere else) helpful.

I'm going to ask one more question on the heating cost topic - as its always been a BIG one in the Maine forum.

Since the OP is now living in CO - is it that the actual COSTS of heating is high in Maine, along WITH the fact that it's a cold place? (oil, electric, etc. is higher than say CO, or NJ?) I'm just curious. I spend a lot in the summer to cool my place in Jersey, so i really think i'll be OK - since my winters are cold down here too.

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by Jellybean50

I always find your posts (honesty and knowlege about Maine, especially since you moved from somewhere else) helpful.

I'm going to ask one more question on the heating cost topic - as its always been a BIG one in the Maine forum.

Since the OP is now living in CO - is it that the actual COSTS of heating is high in Maine, along WITH the fact that it's a cold place? (oil, electric, etc. is higher than say CO, or NJ?) I'm just curious. I spend a lot in the summer to cool my place in Jersey, so i really think i'll be OK - since my winters are cold down here too.

It would probably be about the same, except for transportation costs. We are farther away from things.

[Revi]

It's colder here than in NJ, but there's almost no need for AC, so it's probably about the same to heat and cool a house. It makes a big difference if you have an insulated house or not. I know people who spend a lot on heat in the winter, but we only burn 300 gallons of oil and a cord of wood. Our house is about 1000 sf. I know a guy who built a super insulated solar house with an amazing view of the ocean. He only used 14 gallons of oil last winter. It makes me jealous.

[OutDoorNut]

Originally Posted by Revi

I know a guy who built a super insulated solar house with an amazing view of the ocean. He only used 14 gallons of oil last winter. It makes me jealous.

I wouldn't be too jealous.

I'll never believe living in a house that's bottled up so tightly is healthy, not with breathing in all the off-gassing from carpeting, paint, plastics and vinyls of all kinds, etc.

And what about humidity and Radon? Do those get trapped, too?

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Jellybean50

... Since the OP is now living in CO - is it that the actual COSTS of heating is high in Maine, along WITH the fact that it's a cold place? (oil, electric, etc. is higher than say CO, or NJ?) I'm just curious....

I would think that the need for BTUs in CO would be near equal to the need for BTUs in ME.

Both CO and ME should always be much cooler than NJ. I have never lived in CO nor NJ.

We had a home in CT for many years, and it's heating costs were very high [an old structure with little insulation]. One month in our CT home would cost more than what it costs us to heat our ME home for the entire winter.

Some people in ME have readily available natural gas so it should be less expensive as a heating fuel for them.

Some people here heat with wood, which is less expensive.

There are some homes in ME that lack insulation. They may have drafty walls and floors, etc. You may even see some homes with heating systems that are poorly designed / maintained.

My local VFW post is a brick building with no insulation anywhere, none. They suck through 200 gallons of oil / week to heat that building.

On the other hand, we have a lot of windows. We get a good deal of warmth from our windows. I suspect that if we went crazy putting in more windows, we could get to the point where our winter heating would be energy neutral.

... I spend a lot in the summer to cool my place in Jersey, so i really think i'll be OK - since my winters are cold down here too.

We have two window fans running. So far this summer that has been all we have needed.

We may shut one of them off later this month.

[dramamama6685]

Originally Posted by bbb3601

We like the Waterville area for some reason. We have spent alot of time to make the move as easy as possible, but to be honest every day that passes feels like years.

I feel you there. Hopefully Mandi gets there quicker than we did.

[retiredtinbender]

Originally Posted by OutDoorNut

I wouldn't be too jealous.

I'll never believe living in a house that's bottled up so tightly is healthy, not with breathing in all the off-gassing from carpeting, paint, plastics and vinyls of all kinds, etc.

And what about humidity and Radon? Do those get trapped, too?

New built, tight houses have a ventilation system to get rid of any off gassing that opening windows in spring through fall will not remove. Aas for radon, the new codes require foundations be built in such a way as to vent it through the roof much the same as a plmbing stack. They also have fans to help remove it. Most indoor gassing is, IMO, simply overstated for some purpose or another. Either as a sales tool or for more regulation from the gov't. Not completely, mind, but quite a bit. We all lived through the 50's on.