Bangor Hydro Cutting Electric Service To Nearly 40% Of It's Customers (rental, house)

[Submariner]

We saw this in Conn as well.

Household economics: Stop paying rent and electric in November, and only pay your heat through the winter. Then come mid-April start making payments every two weeks to begin paying down both your back-due rent and electric bills.

By mid-March; you can show everyone that you have established a payment plan, of so much every two weeks, which will pay off your back bills before the following November.

Our leases have a higher amount stated as 'rent due' and a second amount that is $50 less if the payment is paid on time. If they pay on time each month, they get a discount. If they fall into arrears, then they owe the full amount.

[txmom]

WILW, I just talked to the guy who is painting our place, and he said that he's never had a problem collecting money for any job that he has done. He did say that most of the people he has done work for are people he has known for a long time, so he has an advantage there.

I guess everyone is feeling the squeeze...paying the bills that they absolutely have to first in order to keep the household running.

[msina]

This winter heating fuel was quite high. There are some people that had to "rob Peter to pay Paul" in order to heat their homes. Now I'm not saying everyone falls into the same category but, there are people that are doing the right thing while struggling with higher costs. I do agree that many people spend unwisely, I also see that prices are rising on most things very quickly.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Coaster

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

That pretty much sums it up.

[Submariner]

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 have been amazed at how many businesses have offered me a tab since moving to Maine.

Each of the construction folks who did various parts of work on our home, each offered to: give me a tab, to take payment whenever I had the money, and all of them took a personal 'out-of-state' check.

The local auto mechanic has done the same.

The local motor re-wind shop too.

Just a couple days ago I was getting stuff for my firepump, and the guy asked me if I wanted an account, that he could bill me each month and I could pay only what I can afford.

I have no such tabs or accounts. I pay in full when the work is done, or when I take delivery of the product.

Maine is different.

In my travels, we have always tried to keep one common bank account for my direct deposit pay to go into. Then in each area, one of the first things is to get a local checking account. No body likes out-of-town checks has been the theme that we have seen for 25 years. Checks from a local bank, and two forms of picture ID are very common in most areas where we have lived.

Since moving to Maine, nobody here cares if you are handing them an out-of-state check. We still write checks from a Virginia Credit Union. For the most part the only folks who want to see ID is the big box stores [like Home Depot].

And nobody, NOBODY! asks to see two picture IDs before they accept your personal check [in Maine that is].

Here is an even better one.

At a livestock auction yard, I went in and got an account with them, to be able to make bids on and to purchase: vehicles, livestock, home appliances, anything that they put on their auction block. Can you guess what they wanted?

This will flip your wig!

a. my first and last name,
b. my telephone number.

That was all.

If I bring stuff in for sale, then they want my mailing address, so they can mail me their check.



I love Maine

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by txmom

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.

As NMLM points these are the EXTRA two gallons of milk for mixing with the coffee brandy not the cereal milk. The kiddies will be fine....in the dark...but fine.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by msina

This winter heating fuel was quite high. There are some people that had to "rob Peter to pay Paul" in order to heat their homes. Now I'm not saying everyone falls into the same category but, there are people that are doing the right thing while struggling with higher costs. I do agree that many people spend unwisely, I also see that prices are rising on most things very quickly.

It did appear that most heating fuels did go up a lot this past winter.

I would recommend that everyone seriously consider adding on an additional method of home heating using a bio-fuel.

Wood may appear expensive, but it is local, and can not possibly go up in price as fast as petroleum does.

A lot of us have access to wood and wood by-products for free.

Peat too!

I am not saying that everyone should rip out their current systems. But if this past winter's heat was too expensive for you, then, ....

[AustinB]

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!

Hey, Hey there... WIC buys the milk, or food stamps.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

It did appear that most heating fuels did go up a lot this past winter.

I would recommend that everyone seriously consider adding on an additional method of home heating using a bio-fuel.

Wood may appear expensive, but it is local, and can not possibly go up in price as fast as petroleum does.

A lot of us have access to wood and wood by-products for free.

Peat too!

I am not saying that everyone should rip out their current systems. But if this past winter's heat was too expensive for you, then, ....

I'm with you forest...wise words indeed.
We have been "wasting" wood in an inefficient fireplace for several years. When oil was fairly inexpensive the wood served as back up. I'm trying to find a mason (another thread on that problem) to get the chimney ready for next winter. We intend to install a large airtight wood stove in the living room fireplace this summer. This should help a lot with the heat next winter. We also plan to put in another layer of insulation in the attic and are looking into new replacement windows. It will cost us plenty up front but we should save it quickly in using much less oil.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Maineah

I'm with you forest...wise words indeed.
We have been "wasting" wood in an inefficient fireplace for several years. When oil was fairly inexpensive the wood served as back up. I'm trying to find a mason (another thread on that problem) to get the chimney ready for next winter. We intend to install a large airtight wood stove in the living room fireplace this summer. This should help a lot with the heat next winter. We also plan to put in another layer of insulation in the attic and are looking into new replacement windows. It will cost us plenty up front but we should save it quickly in using much less oil.

Some of those 'inserts' are really nice

Your old chimney may need a liner, I have never installed a liner, but on another forum that I frequent liners are a common topic. They seem easy to install.

I would seriously recommend that you consider a wood stove that also heats water. It just gives you so many more options. It does not require that you use it to heat water, but, .... domestic hot water or baseboard heat or radiant floors can all be feed from such a wood fired stove.

Anything that helps to move the heat away from the fireplace/wood-stove area, and delivers the heat to bedrooms, kitchen, bathrooms, etc is a much better system. One room that is too hot, while other rooms are too cold, just does not work well.