Fairbanks Borough utilities cost twice the national average (Metlakatla: appliances, houses)

[RayinAK]

According to data collected by The Council for Community and Economic Research, Fairbanks residents paid nearly 112 percent more than the typical urban resident. It far outpaced the second-most expensive city for utilities, Juneau, where residents paid 64 percent more than the average.


Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Survey Fairbanks utilities cost more than double the national average

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Survey Fairbanks utilities cost more than double the national average

[Metlakatla]

Ray, I'm really sorry about this, but it seems that my violin is completely out of rosin.

[AlaskaNana]

Let's see, last year we were payimg $400-500.00/monthg on gas and electric here in NCa --thank you PG&E -- so that means Alaska was paying $700/mo and up? Does that sound right? I've always rented places that included utilities, in Alaska, so I don't know.

[FloridaKash]

Sure would be nice to have that natural gas pipeline go through Fairbanks, eh? Heck, a ton of Fairbanks residents haul their own water.

[Lonney105]

Ray, turn that frown upside down!

Still a lot cheaper to live here than it is in New Zealand - where I'm from, so I'm not complaining . Income wise I start a job this week making the same $ as I did in NZ taking the exchange rate into account.
So I'm much better off here:

• Houses are easily half the price.

• Food, appliances, stuff at the hardware store, etc 30% to 50% cheaper.

• Eating out at a restaurant easily half the price with much better customer service.

• Gasoline easily half the price again (fill a car in nz? say goodbye to $120).

• Licensing/registering a car is 1/6th the price.

• List goes on and on down to stuff like buying things from Amazon and paying no shipping.

So far the only thing I have found that is the same price is electricity at about 25c/kWh, and 2nd hand cars are more expensive, but only because we get all of Japan's throw away 2nd hand cars dumped on the NZ market cheap.

[Frostnip]

IMO the people who really have trouble in the interior are the ones who try to live in lower 48 style houses rather than something more appropriate for this climate. People have more space and more gadgets than is at all necessary and they pay the cost of or heating and operating that.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Frostnip

IMO the people who really have trouble in the interior are the ones who try to live in lower 48 style houses rather than something more appropriate for this climate. People have more space and more gadgets than is at all necessary and they pay the cost of or heating and operating that.

Or those who have two or three bedroom homes constructed in the '70s or early '80s or not well insulated.
One of my houses, the one I live in, was built in 1980, but it's well insulated. I have also switched to LED lighting all around (inside and out) to save electricity.

That said, the average home owner in the interior with house around 1,700 square feet of living space pays $800.00 and more per month for heating fuel alone, plus electricity. That's if they can keep the home's interior around 64 degrees when in bed, and around 67 degrees when awake. Some others pay a lot more that that if they like it warmer inside during the winter.

But for you and me the high cost of living is not a big deal since we both have jobs with high salaries, plus pensions from early retirements

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Lonney105

Ray, turn that frown upside down!

Still a lot cheaper to live here than it is in New Zealand - where I'm from, so I'm not complaining . Income wise I start a job this week making the same $ as I did in NZ taking the exchange rate into account.
So I'm much better off here:

• Houses are easily half the price.

• Food, appliances, stuff at the hardware store, etc 30% to 50% cheaper.

• Eating out at a restaurant easily half the price with much better customer service.

• Gasoline easily half the price again (fill a car in nz? say goodbye to $120).

• Licensing/registering a car is 1/6th the price.

• List goes on and on down to stuff like buying things from Amazon and paying no shipping.

So far the only thing I have found that is the same price is electricity at about 25c/kWh, and 2nd hand cars are more expensive, but only because we get all of Japan's throw away 2nd hand cars dumped on the NZ market cheap.

I am not frowning. I just posted a link to the Fairbanks Daily News Miner. By the way, only US cities were compared, not NZ.

The reason I posted it is because we have people asking about the cost of living in Fairbanks just about every other week. Data such as the one presented in the article is what they ask for.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Ray, I'm really sorry about this, but it seems that my violin is completely out of rosin.

It's OK, Met. Any playing on your part would have to be for the News Miner, not me.

[Frostnip]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

That said, the average home owner in the interior with house around 1,700 square feet of living space pays $800.00 and more per month for heating fuel alone, plus electricity. That's if they can keep the home's interior around 64 degrees when in bed, and around 67 degrees when awake. Some others pay a lot more that that if they like it warmer inside during the winter.

Yeah, that's kind of my point: 1700 feet is a ridiculous amount for an average-sized household in this region.

But for you and me the high cost of living is not a big deal since we both have jobs with high salaries, plus pensions from early retirements