How Much Does it Cost to Install a Generator?

However, since running a generator can be expensive, you may choose to go with a smaller, less powerful (and less expensive) model that will only power your major appliances. In this way, you may feel some deprivation when the generator kicks on, but you will have heat, hot water, and the ability for your refrigerator to keep your food from spoiling. The level of comfort you desire at the time of an outage will dictate how much power you want from your generator

Installation

Most generators sit outside the home on a cement pad or other separated area. They are installed as permanent fixtures and will need electrical wiring and gas hookup. For this reason it is recommended that you invest in a professional installation. Although it may seem expensive in the short term, installing a generator without prior experience could be costly and dangerous in the long run. In addition to the installation of the generator itself, it is necessary that it sit on a cement block or pad and be separated from the home. So you will need to factor the installation of the cement pad as well as the installation of the generator into your costs.

Portable generators

If you absolutely cannot afford the cost of a fully installed home generator, you can go the much less expensive route and get a portable generator. These units are much less expensive and avoid the cost of installation entirely. However, portable generators have much less power and are usually used to power only one or two appliances, like a refrigerator, during an outage. If power outages are infrequent in your area, and your main concern is only heat, or only food spoilage, then you may consider investing in a portable generator.

Standby Generator

More and more homeowners are realizing that purchasing and installing a standby generator is a necessary step to ensuring their home's safety. The days when occasional power outages could be endured with candles and ghost stories are growing short. Random thunderstorms and freak accidents that threaten to cut power to your home for a few hours are now only one potential danger to your home. Shifting weather patterns are causing severe weather in areas where homeowners are unaccustomed to such calamities. Increasing power supply shortages and power grid failures are also a bigger problem than ever before.

Size is the biggest factor in determining how much your generator will cost. Small, inexpensive generators can be purchased for a few hundred dollars. A large, automatic generator that is designed to completely power a reasonably large home can run more than $20,000. You'll need to take the time with your contractor to properly size the generator you need. Emergency generators are commonly designed to run just the heating, refrigerator/freezer, and basic lighting. Stoves and hot water tanks require a lot of power to operate; some generators can supply power to both of these appliances but not simultaneously. High quality generators also run a lot quieter. If a persistent, dull hum is likely to needle your family, you may want to consider a quiet-running model.

Cost of running a generator

installed home generators draw a lot of power and gas and therefore are expensive to run. Only use a generator when the power is out and it is your only power source. It is not economically wise to be running your generator when it is not needed.

 

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