When a new house is built in a rural area not in a neighborhood

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the costs and responsibilities associated with extending power lines to a new house built in a rural area, particularly when the house is not located within a residential neighborhood. Participants explore various factors influencing who pays for the installation of power lines, the role of utility companies, and the necessary permits for construction.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that utility companies typically cover the costs of running power lines up to a junction box, but homeowners may be responsible for expenses beyond that point, especially if extensive trenching is required.
  • Questions arise regarding what constitutes "extensive trenching" and the specific responsibilities of homeowners versus utility companies in these scenarios.
  • Participants express confusion about the term "junction box" and its role in connecting the utility's power supply to the homeowner's electrical system.
  • There is discussion about the necessity of building permits for constructing small cabins on unimproved lots, with responses indicating that local bylaws will dictate the requirements.
  • Some participants mention the potential for off-grid electrical systems as an alternative to connecting to utility power, suggesting that this might be a more economical option in certain cases.
  • Concerns are raised about the utility's capacity to provide service, with some participants indicating that utilities may need to assess their infrastructure before extending service to new locations.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that the utility company has some responsibility for extending service, but there is no consensus on the specifics of cost-sharing or the definitions of terms like "junction box" and "facilities." Multiple competing views remain regarding the obligations of homeowners and the processes involved.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include varying local regulations regarding building permits, differing utility policies on cost recovery for service extensions, and the ambiguity surrounding technical terms related to electrical infrastructure.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals considering building in rural areas, homeowners exploring utility connections, and those interested in off-grid living options may find this discussion relevant.

  • #61


arildno said:
Eeh?
What sort of country do you live in??

Here in Norway, the property tax on house-owners should not exceed 0.7% of the house's market value, and less than 50% of our counties and municipalities derive income from that sort of taxation (with a minimum rate of 0.2% for those municipalities wishing to have that tax)..

I'm in northeastern USA, about 1/2-way between NY City and Philadelphia. Our property tax has fluctuated between 2% and 3% of our home's market value over the past 8 years.
 
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  • #62
stickythighs said:
I've never even heard of a heat pump well, but it sounds interesting. So a heat pump well is a heat pump that is powered by gas from a well? What type of gas would it use?
No a heat pump is a more efficent heating (or cooling) system.
It uses a series of water fileld pipes which run between the house and underground, it works by pumping heat between the warm ground and conentrating it to heat your house.
Effectively you are stealing some of the suns heat from the warm ground and using it to heat your house (while at the same time slighlty refridgerating the ground), so you use less expensive propane/natural gas/electricity for heating. The pump itself ussually runs on electricity/propane, it's expensive to install but if you are out in the country using expensive propane for heating it will pay for itself.

Some of them can also run in reverse, dumping heat form your house into cold underground water - this is much more efficent than AC.
 
  • #63
stickythighs said:
I've never even heard of a heat pump well, but it sounds interesting. So a heat pump well is a heat pump that is powered by gas from a well? What type of gas would it use?

You can read about variations of them here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_heat_pump
 

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