Weathering the storm – Why an automatic standby generator may be your new best friend

2020-08-31
By: Denise Koslowsky

Weather patterns have been quite unpredictable in recent years. It seems storms are happening more frequently and abnormal weather occurrences are becoming more normal every year.  We are currently in the middle of hurricane season and we all know that unexpected power outage can cause a variety of problems for homeowners.  When it comes to weathering a storm with minimal damage to your home you don’t want to be without power for very long which is why we think installing a permanent generator may be a smart idea.

Advice from your insurance Advocate, you may want to seriously consider a Permanently Installed Generator if:   

• You work from home.  Since the pandemic, more and more families have multiple people working and/or going to school online from their home.  Losing power for more than 24 hours could be more than a mere inconvenience. 
• You need a sump pump to keep your basement or crawl space dry.  When the power goes out, your sump pump stops working which means that you are at risk for costly water damage.
• Keep your food from spoiling.  The entire contents of your refrigerator could be unsafe after as little as 4 hours without power.
• You rely on well water.  Without electricity your well pump and its filtration systems will not be working and your family will not have water available to safely drink or bathe.
• During winter months a power outage could be more than an inconvenience.  Extreme temperature could cause a pipe to burst causing thousands of dollars of damage to your home.
• During summer months extreme heat can cause power outages, and it is very uncomfortable to be without air conditioning. In some cases extreme heat can cause health risks.
• If you have a hybrid or electric car.  When your home becomes the place to keep your vehicle charged, you want to make sure it has continuous power so that you can use your car whenever you need to.
• You own a secondary or vacation home.  A standby generator will protect your home from power outage related emergencies and give you some peace of mind!

Even better news is that most carriers offer discounts on your homeowner’s insurance when you have a permanent generator installed to protect your home from a power outage. If you want to learn more about the benefits of generators and whether installing one is a smart idea, please give us a call.  We would be happy to speak with you!