We just built a house 2 years ago. Originally, we were looking at private lots on private roads with HOAs. Our real estate agent said, if at all possible, to avoid property with covenants attached to a deeded property. Reason being: its damn near impossible to get them removed unless the original conveyors agreed to have them removed and then the deed needs to be re-written.

Meters are smart, there is no “reading” if you have a smart meter, they automatically update usage. The only reading that is done now is if the meter fails to check in or to verify accuracy.

And what...borrow a truck every time you need to move literally anything? No thanks.

As a homeowner, I feel this comment. I have a $400 Husqvarna chainsaw I've used twice...just because I want to own it and know, eventually, there will be a need for it. Its also nice to have owning 2.5 acres of mostly wooded land. I find myself buying shit I will only need in an emergency just to have, lol.

Any time I see a homeowner who doesn't have some sort of truck or large SUV, I tell myself that person has to be struggling as a homeowner (not financially, but utility wise). I don't know what I would do without my truck.

It’s moreso cost of living overall. We have lower salaries and higher cost of living. It’s just never been a state where employers pay much. The sprawl doesn’t help, we have a very low population density so it costs more per person to maintain roads and the like.

It’s like that low bridge in North Carolina I believe it was. www.11foot8.com

Honestly, at this point, anyone who hits this sign should immediately be forced to surrender their license.

Sort of...I signed up for a community solar project, so 3/4 of my bill hasn't invoiced out yet. I've paid for 623 KWH of the 2165 KWH I used...I'm sure it will be high, but the savings from the solar farm should help stifle that charge.

The heat pump runs anytime it’s above 20 degrees. Below 20 it uses a propane forced hot air through the same ducting. I burn about 500 gallons of propane per year and my average electric bill in the winter is around $350. Overall I spend the same to heat / cool my 2600 sq foot house as I did using an oil fired baseboard system in my old 1200 sq foot house. Also worth noting my old house has fiberglass insulation and my new home has closed cell spray foam.

Yeah, it’s fully ducted heat pump with a propane forced hot air backup.

No, it’s a heat pump, but instead of having heads all over the house, it goes through a ducting system with a blower. Basically turns a heat pump into a forced hot air hvac system. Also acts as whole house AC in the summer.

Fully ducted heat pump with propane forced hot air backup…keep it at 72 during the day and 66 at night.

I started this job 2 years ago, before inflation was insane.

Not really. Network engineer for network engineer Maine pays far less. That is my profession. I made $80k at a health care organization and was told I was over paid. I now work for a healthcare company not based in Maine and I make $90k and am told I’m under paid by my employer. Previous employer was Maine based.

Why isn’t traveling nurses an option? I know plenty who are home every day and don’t have to stay near the hospital. In Central Maine, I know people who worked for St. Mary’s, CMMC and Maine General and were home everyday. They also made easily $90k per year doing it.

The only way to be a nurse in Maine and be fulfilled financially is to be a per diem nurse. You get no benefits, but you get 50% more pay. I know traveling nurses making close to $100k in Maine. You have to be specialized, but it’s there. Working for a healthcare system in Maine as a nurse is short changing yourself and forcing yourself to be overworked.

It’s hard when all the employers that are here are of the old school mentality where you should just be happy you have a job. I work remotely for a company based in San Francisco. It’s night and day difference how they treat you compared to a Maine based employer.

It’s pretty crazy how brainwashed they have us. I’m a network engineer by trade. In Maine, at my peak, I was making around $80k. I was constantly told I was overpaid and that I didn’t work hard enough. Fast forward to today. I now work for a company based out of San Francisco. When they offered me my job, I figured they start me at around $70k. I was astonished when they offered me $90k and apologized they couldn’t offer more. I’ve been here for two years. I work half as hard as I used to and my boss is over the moon with my performance. It’s bizarre. Maine employers are just shit level.

At the absolute bottom line, a consumer owned utility operates on near zero margin. It will save us money simply due to the fact that we aren’t pumping profits to a parent company. Even if everything stayed the same, cutting out the profits would save us money. We would also be able to decide on what to fix instead of only pumping money into profit generating ventures. CMP does not operate in the best interest of its customers. It operates in the best interest of its parent company and their profit line.

The DOT maintains its roads a hell of a lot better then CMP maintains its power grid.