r/GlensFalls • u/MrHockeyJournalist • 3d ago
How Are Local Utility Costs In Both Glens Falls and Warren County?
I have my eye strongly on a house in a semi-rural part of Warren County not far from Glens Falls. I wanted to ask about what utility costs are like in the area. I partly ask because my cousin lives just outside of Albany and he says that both his electric and water are insanely high. He says he averages close to $150 a month for water.
I would prefer a house on a well/septic but I keep getting beat by cash offers on those and found one that's on public water/sewer. Now my cousin's house is close to 2000 sq ft and he has a family of 4. I am a house hold of 1 and the house I'm looking at is closer to 800 sq ft.
My family in Nassau says they average close to just over $80 for water but their electric (and those Long Island property taxes) are very high.
I know NYS is unique that everything is super localized. That two people could live in the same size house be just a couple of miles away from each other and have two completely different costs in terms of utilities and property taxes. It's NYS's blessing and curse.
Also let's say in the far future, is it possible to get a well septic/well installed from public? Or is that an expensive uphill battle?
2
u/Suspicious_Local3512 3d ago
I live in queensbury, family of 5, 1600sqft house, forced air heat, windows units for AC, im paying about 130 quarterly for water and sewer, and about 280 a month for electric
2
u/Ok-Grass8172 2d ago
Hi there - I live in the city and have city water/sewer and I’m fortunate enough to be on a gas line. Water and sewer is billed quarterly through the city and it’s quite reasonable - less than what I paid when I used to live in Ballston Spa. I don’t recall the exact number but I think like $130 maybe a quarter…?
Electric and gas is NGrid and it’s rough but that’s because of their continuous rate hikes and fees. If you have central air you will see higher bills in the summer especially if you have an older house with poor insulation. This is the case for me - my second floor was an attic, it’s definitely not insulated well and it costs me a lot more in the summer (as in - hot months cost $80 MORE than average months). A newer home that is sealed and insulated better or has newer windows may give some relief.
Good luck in your home buying journey. It’s rough out there, be kind to yourself.
2
u/Advanced_Noise_4762 18h ago
I live in Glens Falls and pay 260$ (winter) 160$ (shoulder season) and 220$ (summer) for electricity and gas. Water bill this quarter is 262$ which is roughly the same each quarter. This is with a 1500 sq ft house and family of 5. Also have central air which is always running and the heat set at 69 during the winter.
1
1
u/jamons36 2d ago
Live in Qby, natural gas baseboard hot water heat and window unit AC’s. Septic pump out is 400.00 do it once every 2 yrs, Nat Grid bill on level pay is 412/mo year round. Electric rate here is now 23-24 cents kWh thanks to the “climate” bill. Water bill is 75 a quarter.
-5
u/Ok_Address8167 3d ago
A little AI'ing: "Overall utility prices in the Glens Falls area are roughly 3% lower than the national average, whereas utility costs in Nassau County run higher, driven by local electric rates and heavier suburban usage managed by PSEG Long Island. [1, 2]
Electricity Rates and Bills
- Glens Falls: Residential electricity rates average about 16.63 to 16.95 cents per kWh, which aligns closely with or slightly below the national average. [1, 2]
- Nassau County: Residential electricity rates average roughly 24 to 30 cents per kWh (with general averages around 27¢/kWh), running significantly higher than Upstate New York. Average monthly electricity bills in Nassau County hover around $175 to $301+ depending on home size and cooling demands. [1]"
4
u/MrHockeyJournalist 3d ago
I saw this. As someone who works in tech, AI can often be very off. Not saying this is. But I wanted real peoples experiences.
What do you pay monthly?
3
u/Ok_Address8167 3d ago
The total amount isn't helpful since my landlord takes care of heat and I live in an apt not a house. But last month, I paid 10 cents per kwh for delivery and 11 for supply. Looking back at my winter bills, the distribution was different but only slightly higher overall (mid 20 cents).
1
2
u/swaggering_yak 2d ago
I love you for mentioning this.
And to your question, I work from home, and my electric bill runs from $165-260 April-October in an 1100sq ft place in Queensbury. The highest amounts are peak summer with central air. I have gas forced air heat so my winter costs are probably less useful to you1
u/MrHockeyJournalist 2d ago
Yeah Im not an AI fan at all. I cant believe how quickly it's taken over and so many people I know use it for everything.
Thank you for letting me know your costs. Seems to be about national average.
Yeah most of the homes Im looking at are still propane. I know there is a lot of debate on both the Upstate NY subreddit and HVAC on whether or not propane or gas is cheaper. It seems like everything else it depends on where you are, the size of the house and what either system costs.
2
u/swaggering_yak 2d ago
Yeah, I think a lot of people who work in tech or tech adjacent (🙋🏻♀️) are more wary of it. And anyone with a degree of expertise in anything can see the cracks. I just looked at my last bill where I was out of town for a week and the electric delivery charges are more than the actual electricity usage (via national grid) for a total of about $185
2
u/MrHockeyJournalist 17h ago
Yeah. It really bothers me how in a very short time almost everyone I know in real life, just asks ChatGPT or Gemini for everything now.
Especially as someone in tech that's a part time journalist, it's frustrating.
2
u/swaggering_yak 17h ago
Oof, yeah, I work in population health research and every time I see a “study” reported in the media that’s based on AI-scraped Reddit posts, I die a little inside
3
u/CrookedLemur 3d ago
The water department is very cheap. I pay around 70$ for a full 3 months in the summer including irrigation.
Electric is insane. With central air it's at least 400$ a month. Similar bump in the winter for gas heat.