AUGUSTA -- More central Mainers are at risk of having their electricity disconnected this year, as consumers appear to be making hard choices about what bills to pay.

About 29,000 Central Maine Power Co. customers are at least 90 days behind in their electric bills, or about 5.5 percent of the company's 540,000 residential customers.

That's up from 4.8 percent last year.

While not all those customers will end up having their electricity disconnected, Maine Public Utilities Commission statistics show a rising number of disconnections in the last three years.

CMP disconnected 17,341 customers in 2005, and 18,553 in 2007, according to PUC records.

Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. disconnected 2,741 in 2005 and 3,376 in 2007.

And Maine Public Service Co., which serves far northern Maine, disconnected 1,351 customers in 2005, and 1,492 in 2007.

"This is a stressful time, economically. It's not hard to understand, people are making difficult choices between oil, gas, and food," as they consider paying their electric bill, said John Carroll, a spokesman for CMP. "Most people who get behind either square up or make a payment arrangement."

A rise in the number of disconnection notices occurs this time of year, in part, because PUC rules make it more difficult for utilities to disconnect customers for non-payment during Maine's cold winter months. Between Nov. 15 and April 15, utilities must first contact the PUC'S Consumer Assistance Division before they can turn off the power to a home.

"It is quite restrictive in the winter, but not unheard of," Fred Bever, PUC spokesman, said of shutting off someone's electricity in winter in Maine. "In the winter you can still receive disconnection notices, there are just many more procedural hurdles to go through."

That, officials said, leads some people who can't make ends meet to decide to not pay their electric bills during the winter because they know it's unlikely they will be disconnected. Instead, they'll pay for food and oil, but let their electric bills slide for the winter.

Bangor Hydro-Electric spokesperson Susan Faloon said her company has sent out 46,000 disconnection notices so far this year. But customers who were behind in multiple bills were each sent multiple disconnection notices. The 46,000 disconnection notices figure includes the multiple notices sent to single customers, and is not the total number of customers notified.

Faloon said about 8,000 Bangor Hydro customers are behind enough in their bills to be at risk of being disconnected, not 46,000. "The numbers aren't that unusual for this time of year," she said.

Faloon and Carroll both noted customers should contact their utilities if they're struggling to pay their bills. They'd rather work out payment plans than have to disconnect customers, both said.

Faloon said Bangor Hydro has seen a significant increase in the average outstanding balance of customers who are behind in their bills. This year the average overdue balance of those customers is $393, compared to $352 last year.

The company is owed a total of about $3.6 million in overdue electric bills.

The 29,000 Central Maine Power customers at least 90 days overdue owe an average of $600, up about $50 from last year, Carroll said. Their total owed comes to about $18 million.

"It's a difficult position for us because we recognize people can have a hard time paying," Carroll said. "But we have an obligation to all our other ratepayers. Ultimately, whatever isn't paid gets rolled back in, into everyone else's rates. It'd be wrong for us not to be conscientious about that."

Keith Edwards -- 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com