So what is the average monthly electric bill like? (Bangor: spring break, for sale)

[Elcarim]

Actually, I read the water is higher there than other states as well. The oil costs are already mentioned in some detail on other posts I've read, but can someone please give me some utility estimates for the current year?

BTW, it looks like we're venturing up this coming March during Spring Break. Does that make us crazy, or what?! When everyone else heads for the warmer climates, we're coming to check out the snow. We thought it would be nice to visit during the colder months to get a real feel for the climate. We're looking forward to visiting the coastal towns along Rt 1 to see if any of them scream "HOME" to us.

Thanks so much for all the info so far!

[skyesmom40]

Well, I must commend you for wanting to come in March...hopefully there will be PLENTY of snow for you to see lol. Electric bills will vary by location, age and condition of the home, your appliances and usage (dishwasher vs the old fashioned way...hehehe etc). A significant consideration will be the type of heating you choose. In the central part of the state where I live, most homes are wood or oil / kerosene heat. Your electric bill could be in the $150/mo range, with an additional expense for heating fuel.......OR you chould have a substantially higher bill if you use electric heat. I have read other posts that explain the breakdown by cost of actual supplied energy and the *delivery cost to bring it to the home.
While you are here visiting......if a place realllllllly calls to you, chat with some of the *locals to get an idea what the best combination of heating is for that area. (Is also a great way to find out about the community etc..even the occasional house that is only *sort of* for sale that just might be perfect

[Elcarim]

compared to our electric bills here. The lowest bill we had last year was $170 something. Our bill is $220 or so most of the year except the 4 summer months when it ranges from $280-400. My last bill was $346. I was guessing electric may be cheaper there since you don't have to run the central A/C year round like we do here. I don't think there's a single month out of the year that our A/C isn't on at some point.

Here we rely mostly on electric heat, so that cost is spread a little differently than you guys have it there. And our water bill is between $35-40 per month year round, which includes 2x weekly trash pickup and all sewer costs are also included.

[bigchuckie]

Usage is the biggest variable My wife is at home all day with the kids We try to monitor usage as best we can and our bill runs around 80-100 monthly. As far as coming in March it is a crap shoot last winter March was bare and brown unless you live in the mts. However the march of 05 we had snow up to our eyeballs

[skyesmom40]

Water and trash are realllllllly subjective up here, lol. Wells are a big thing, my grandparents place had tap water so cold it would give you a brain freeze lol. The larger towns and cities have *city water..trash pickup..usually at least once a week, usually covered in the taxes we pay. I have a small window a/c unit.....i used about 3 weeks total this summer, my ceiling fans worked great the rest of the time. Something else you could try...once you locate an area you are seriousllllllllllly considering........find out who the local elec. supplier is, check their websites. Bangor Hydro I dont know tooooo much about., but CMP i have checked into and theres tons of info on the rates and stuff...(even handy lil weatherizing tips ) We just started getting the morning weather that is a bit damp and chilly...a lil foggy sometimes...but havent had the heat on yet in the night. My thermostat is now set up to 67, enough to keep my lil one just comfy under his blanket, so its coming.... we have hot water baseboard, not something too common anymore around here..so yes its an old house lol..something else to conside, you will want some source of moisture during the winter..humidifier etc. I sometimes make a pot of soup simply for the moisture effect...makes the whole house warmer and no scratchy throat lol. Again, a LOT will depend on where you look, work out a list of Must have's, and would be nice's......and the Not at All's of course look at the maps, if you see a lil place that looks interesting, check for a town website .. or wind us up on here lol There are some amazing folks with TONs of info floating around on this site. And if you want to know about the schools, drop in on a PTA meeting once......heheheheee.

[Elcarim]

So how much are water bills? Also, do you have electric stoves and hot water heaters or is propane/natural gas more typical?

Thanks for ALL your help!

[Acadianlion]

You will find water bills only exist in the city areas and not always all places in a city. Hot water is provided from various sources. In some of the cities natural gas is available but generally natural gas is rare in Maine. Most houses use either an electric water heater or a water heater that works off the oil furnace. We use propane for hot water, and have an "on demand" hot water heater.

[pinkpalace]

You can get water rates here: http://www.maine.gov/meopa/water/water_rates.html

Trash service varies from town to town. In Newport, you were "on your own." You could either hire someone to pick up your trash, or take it to the town's transfer station yourself. In Pittsfield (maybe 10 miles away), trash was picked up by the town -- and you paid for it with a higher mill rate (higher property taxes).

[tkx7]

Elcarim- you should keep in mind that things look a lot different in the winter time. The trees are bare and there are no nice lawns and stuff to look at. The roads might be dirty from the road crew spreading sand. Less people are outside and stuff too, i just hope you dont get a really bad first impression. Houses and neighborhoods just look entirely different.

[Elcarim]

Oh, I know. We don't get cold, but we get wet and muddy here all winter. I've been looking at lots of photos of the towns we're interested in - all seasons. When we visit in the spring (our spring, not yours!) we'll be more interested in the people and the feel each place offers us. We believe when we find the right place, we'll know instantly. That's one reason we're doing so much preliminary research now, to make sure each town we like is near enough for good work, good schools, etc.

Thanks!