New gas lines have already been installed for the church and parsonage, as pictured in the photo to the left. Burners are planned for installation the end of September.
Submitted by Doreen Gay, Trustees
The Board of Trustees has been grappling with the several energy expenses as of late. While we have done numerous projects in the past as far as tightening up doors and replacing windows, this is not enough to combat the rising cost of fuel.
If we had continued on our current path the expected oil charges would have been around $30,000 (based on 3.799 per gallon) to heat both the parsonage and sanctuary this coming heating season, which is calculated from May1st to April 31st. Our 2008 budget, which was approved last year, allocated $14,000 for this time period…we spent all that and then some by the end of May! You can see our dilemma. I personally heat with natural gas and have had the fortune to avoid the extreme increases in heating costs, so with this in mind, I started researching the possibility of converting both our properties to natural gas.
The cost to run the gas lines is covered by Northern Utilities; this leaves us with the cost to convert the burners, which will be approximately $12,000. The estimated natural gas usage is approximately $15,000 for this coming heating season. As you can see the pay back is less than one year. Please bear in mind, that even the $15,000 is more than we have in our budget for the balance of this year, so our governing body has some very difficult decision to make in the coming months. If you feel lead and have the means to dedicate additional offerings to this need, please speak to our Pastors as soon as possible.
The Trustees are confident that this move to natural gas will be better for budgeting and hold down costs in the long run. The Public Utilities Commission controls natural gas prices in Maine so rate increases must be applied for and justified. For anyone you may have recently read a front page newspaper article that boldly stated Northern Utilities request a 17% rate increase, it was sensationalism, as the gas company each year needs to apply for their normal winter rates, this is not a reason for concern.
The Trustees have worked hard to do all we can to protect our buildings and provide comfort and safety to all who come through our doors. Please remember you can do your part too, by turning off unnecessary lights and running water, and dressing a bit warmer for functions and services.
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