Utilities in Fairbanks (College, Bethel, North Pole: appliances, how much, houses)

[Cakayaq]

I know you see this a lot but my questions are fairly straight forward. I'm considering moving from Bethel to Fairbanks so I do know a bit about what it takes to live int he state, what I do need are numbers.....

$ Heating Fuel per Gallon? ~$6.60 in Bethel

$ Car Fuel per Gallon? $6.75 in Bethel

$ Electricity per Kilowatt? ~.48$ in Bethel

Natural Gas is the one utility that I don't know much about. Any estimates about cost or how much it takes to heat a house in December? Are there only certain areas in Fairbanks where it's common or piped or do those that use it have it delivered?

Property Tax?

Internet - Any unlimited data plans that you know of? ~$150 for about 25 gigs of data max (thank you GCI for sticking it to us again)

And for the kids....

Is there a Movie Theater? Jr. High and High School Football?

I guess that's it.. thanks in advance.

[Moose Whisperer]

$4.019 for unleaded at the Airport Gas & Oil on Dale Rd when I filled up there last Wednesday. Heating oil was was about $ 3.95 on the next pump if I recall correctly.

Actually had to do a double take because that price is lower than I just paid here in ANC today - $4.049. But I'm looking the receipt right now in my hand!

[Moose Whisperer]

Also, when I drove by the Regal 16 Cinema on Airport Rd, it almost looked like the place was abandoned. But I think they just open late. Must not be a lot of moviegoers in Fbks.

[heathen]

There isn't really natural gas in Fairbanks. It's a big political issue at the moment, and there's always talk of a pipeline, or large scale trucking operation to bring it in, but for now just about everybody uses fuel oil or wood for heat. Propane appliances are common. The cost of heating a full size home is an important consideration in Fairbanks.

[RayinAK]

My answers on dark text below:

Originally Posted by Cakayaq

I know you see this a lot but my questions are fairly straight forward. I'm considering moving from Bethel to Fairbanks so I do know a bit about what it takes to live int he state, what I do need are numbers.....

$ Heating Fuel per Gallon? ~$6.60 in Bethel
Was told that it was around $4.07 per gallon today, but the company delivers it to your house. If you have a trailer with a tank you can buy it cheaper than that and pump it into the tank in the house since they charge for the delivery

$ Car Fuel per Gallon? $6.75 in Bethel
Probably around $4.00 give and take four cents

$ Electricity per Kilowatt? ~.48$ in Bethel
Cheaper than that in Fairbanks, but GVEA passes down to the customer the amount of diesel fuel per KW per hour used to produce the electricity sold to the customer. For example: lets say that I am paying around $47.00 for electricity; in this case GVEA asks perhaps around $57.00 for fuel usage on top of the $47.00

Natural Gas is the one utility that I don't know much about. Any estimates about cost or how much it takes to heat a house in December? Are there only certain areas in Fairbanks where it's common or piped or do those that use it have it delivered?

Property Tax?

Property tax is high in the North Star Borough. I can give you some factual numbers later, but it should be around $3,000 a year for a $250,000 to $300,000 home

Internet - Any unlimited data plans that you know of? ~$150 for about 25 gigs of data max (thank you GCI for sticking it to us again)
All depends on the plan. For example, I pay ACS around $60.00 for a DSL modem. They offer three speeds, so I opted for the medium-speed one. The data is unlimited. There also is GCI, plus another company that offer Internet services

And for the kids....

Is there a Movie Theater? Jr. High and High School Football?

I guess that's it.. thanks in advance.

[Moose Whisperer]

Just another Update:

Gas was $4.139 today at the same place. Twelve cents increase from two weeks ago.

However, #1 Heating oil was about the same. $3.939 at the pump (not delivered).

[akpls]

Movie theater = Regal Cinemas

Yes to HS football. No Jr. High/Middle School football, but there is a youth football league that covers that age.

[RayinAK]

$4.09 for unleaded at Fred Meyer, and around $4.29 for diesel fuel. Gasoline in North Pole is around $4.33 a gallon

[Cakayaq]

Thank you all for the help. This is great information to help us make some decisions. One item I forgot to ask about.

Water/Sewer - A little over $500 a month in Bethel for a 1500gal a week water delivery and sewer haul. No septic tanks here so it's "picked up" and delivered to the sewer lagoon. That's a little high for the usage but we have a mother-in-law apt that pulls from the tank too. We probably use more like 800gallons a week. Do you have septic systems? wells? or are most on "city water".


I hear that looking for a place to live "above the ice fog level" is a good idea. What community names or areas would be considered above that level so I'll know them when/if I'm looking for a house?

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Cakayaq

Thank you all for the help. This is great information to help us make some decisions. One item I forgot to ask about.

Water/Sewer - A little over $500 a month in Bethel for a 1500gal a week water delivery and sewer haul. No septic tanks here so it's "picked up" and delivered to the sewer lagoon. That's a little high for the usage but we have a mother-in-law apt that pulls from the tank too. We probably use more like 800gallons a week. Do you have septic systems? wells? or are most on "city water".


I hear that looking for a place to live "above the ice fog level" is a good idea. What community names or areas would be considered above that level so I'll know them when/if I'm looking for a house?

All houses outside the city center in North Pole have their own septic system and water well. In Fairbanks, sewage and water connections are mostly within the city limits. But right outside the city most neighborhoods don't have Fairbanks city water and sewage. In this instance, most houses have their own water/sewage (septic). However, some neighborhoods have sewage and water taken care of by College Utilities. As far as I know, water and sewage does not cost very much in these areas.

If you want to live above the fog, then more than likely it has to be a place on the hills all around Fairbanks. But more than likely you will have to have water delivered to your house and stored in an underground tank next to the house. But some people have water tanks on the back of trucks (or a trailer), and buy water at some of several locations around Fairbanks. If I well remember it's pretty cheap buying water at these places, maybe five cents per gallon (?).

A good thing relating to living on the hills around Fairbanks is that usually the temperature during the winter is from 10 to 20 degrees warmer than down in the low areas of Fairbanks and North Pole, so you save a little on heating cost.