The Benefits of Having a Residential Backup Generator

Many may find the initial cost of purchasing and installing a residential backup generator a bit daunting. However, the benefits of having an alternative energy source for your home make the start-up cost worth it many times over. Not only that, there are many ways to recoup the cost of buying and maintaining a residential backup generator.

What Causes Main Grid Power Outages?

Severe weather accounts for at least half of major power outages according to the Congressional Research Service which has been tracking power usage and trends since 1914. The other half of power outages generally occur due to grid inadequacies or damages. Only a very small percentage of main grid power outages are planned or foreseen, the mass majority are unexpected and uncontrollable.

Reliability

Main grid power outages are characterized by unpredictability, they aren’t something that you can plan for in most cases. You can’t predict the next natural disaster or chaotic event that will affect the main power grid, but you can prepare for the inevitability of a grid outage by owning a generator. With a residential backup generator, you know that your power will never go out. You can rest in the assurance that your daily life will be unaffected by the likes of a major storm or power failure.

Power outages can be a major hassle and they can end up costing you a lot of money. If your refrigerator goes out for a long period, you could suddenly lose the cost of an entire fridge of food. Replacing a fridge of food can put a dent in anyone’s monthly budget but power outages can cause even worse damage to the structure of your home. During ice storms or extremely cold weather, power outages can cause water pipes to burst in the walls of residences; an often unknown problem until the pipes thaw. Even a small crack in a thawed pipe can lead to severe water damage in the walls and basement of your home.

Having a residential backup generator is especially important when someone in your household has special needs that require a steady and reliable energy source. If your family normally has to worry about keeping life-saving medications like insulin cool or must maintain a continuous flow of oxygen a residential backup generator isn’t just a major convenience, it can be a matter of life or death. While this might not be a concern for most households, its of the utmost importance to those who do have medical conditions to maintain.

Security

According to Security.org, about 30% of homeowners in the United States utilize a home security system, which makes sense when you consider that the FBI reported that in the year 2015 alone, American homeowners lost an average of $3.6 billion in 1.5 million instances of home theft. That’s an average of $2316 lost per household due to home invasion. Unfortunately, instances of theft also increase during major power outages, also reported in a home invasion study released by the FBI in 2015.

When main grid power outages occur, security systems, cameras, alarms, and fire indicators also stop working. A residential backup generator ensures that those vital theft deterrents and safety monitoring systems continue to function providing you with increased safety and much-needed peace of mind.

Construction And Farming

Are you thinking of possibly adding a new addition or having work done on your home? Well, most of the time the main power is going to need to be shut off to your home for at least part of the construction process. A residential power generator can help keep the necessary appliances in your home running. This can include things like lights, the refrigerator, heat, and air conditioning; things that you wouldn’t want to be without for long periods while your home is under construction.

Outside of being convenient during construction projects, having a residential generator can save on the cost of construction. By running machinery off of the generator, you can recoup some of the building cost by saving on the energy cost. Running things like nail guns, jackhammers and other tools cost significantly less when powered by a generator, especially if your generator is fueled in part by renewable energy sources like windmills or solar panels. However, even a natural gas or propane generator is cheaper to run than most main power grids in the short term.

In terms of commercial and hobby farming, having a backup power source is a key factor to being able to run your farm smoothly. Anything from feeding livestock to preserving harvested crops and water management can be terminally disrupted by a main grid power outage. When it comes to their livelihood and the wellbeing of their animals, farmers know that having a residential backup power generator is extremely important.

Working From Home

We live in a time when there’s an unprecedented number of adults who work out of their homes and depend on home offices for the whole of their incomes. Power outages can seed chaos into the lives of freelancers and individuals who work from home by disrupting power and internet access. This can severely affect job performance and the amount of income hourly employees can earn. A backup generator can be a game-changer and a huge source of financial insurance in these instances.

Add Value To Your Home

While the cost of buying and installing a backup generator in your home may seem financially inadvisable, it’s very easy to recoup the cost. For starters, having a residential backup generator adds value to the overall cost of your home should you got to sell the property or if you decide to refinance your mortgage. The average homeowner will recoup at least 50% of the original cost of the generator in home equity value.

Benefits Surely Outweight The Cost

Whether you are considering adding a residential backup generator because you like the convenience or because sudden power outages can be dangerous to a family member’s health or affect your livelihood, the benefits of owning backup power are numerous. The peace of mind that comes with a backup power source alone makes the cost of installing a generator worth it.