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Setting up utilities in Portland

In Portland, CMP delivers electricity, Unitil delivers gas, the Portland Water District runs water and sewer, and the Portland Solid Waste Division handles trash pickup.

Your utilities in Portland

Who to call for each service in Portland, and how to start it.

ServiceProviderHow to start

Electric

CMP

The electric company for Portland and southern Maine.

To start: CMP asks for your Social Security number and a second form of ID, such as your driver’s license number, when you start service.

Start or stop service1 (800) 750-4000
Read our CMP guide

Gas

Unitil

Delivers gas in Maine and electricity and gas in MA and NH.

To start: Fill out Unitil’s online Application for New Service with your Social Security number (or federal tax ID number or IRS 147C form) and date of birth.

Customer service1 (888) 301-7700Start on unitil.com (opens myaccount.unitil.com in a new tab)

Water & sewer

Portland Water District

Quasi-municipal water and sewer district for Greater Portland.

To start: Fill out PWD’s online Start Service form with your date of birth and driver’s license number.

PWD bills sewer for the town it serves, which sets the sewer rates.

Customer service1 (207) 761-8310Start on pwd.org (opens pwd.org in a new tab)

Trash & recycling

Portland Solid Waste Division

The City’s Solid Waste division collects trash and recycling.

To start: Buy City of Portland purple trash bags at a listed store; trash is only collected in those bags.

Weekly curbside pickup serves residential properties, not commercial ones.

Customer service1 (207) 756-8011portlandmaine.gov (opens portlandmaine.gov in a new tab)

What Portland homes pay for electricity

This is CMP’s average for the homes it serves. Your own bill depends on your home’s size and how you heat it.

$156

CMP’s average home bill, per month

29.2¢

CMP’s average price per kilowatt-hour (kWh)

FAQ

Questions about moving to Portland

Portland uses a pay-as-you-throw system: you pay for trash through the required purple City trash bags, so you pay only for what you throw away. The City doesn’t supply trash cans.

Yes. Your recycling cart is assigned to your house or apartment, and the City asks you to leave it for the next occupant when you move.

Sources: CMP, Unitil, Portland Water District, Portland Solid Waste Division, EIA.

Public Grid isn’t affiliated with these companies.

Report a mistake (opens support.onepublicgrid.com in a new tab)