A backup generator could be an excellent addition to your home. It provides you with some much-needed energy, but is it worth the hassle? You have to pay for the generator, find some way of providing it with power - do you really need one? The answer will vary depending on who you are and where you live. Still, you can make the decision a lot easier if you understand the pros and cons of this investment. So, let’s take a look at the potential benefits and concerns when getting a backup generator:

Never worry about blackouts

Do you always suffer from blackouts where you live? This is a common issue for people living out in the country or in places that don’t have a great connection to the power grid. A backup generator removes any concerns as you can easily connect your home to it when the power goes out! A lot of them run on domestic heating oil, which means you don’t need to worry about the generator’s battery being fully charged. As long as you have a supply of oil, you’ll never go without power!

Save energy

There’s a little trick with backup generators that makes them pretty amazing. Basically, you use them in conjunction with solar panels to store energy. The solar energy gets transported into the generator where it sits there until you need it. In theory, you can them cut off your connection to the power grid and use your solar power via the generator. You can do this until the power runs low, then switch back. It’s a way of subsidising your energy with clean and free energy from the sun! Therefore, you save money, become more energy-efficient, and utilize the power of solar panels. 

Pretty expensive

Okay, one obvious downfall of backup generators is their price. It’ll cost a few hundred dollars for a small backup generator, but this would only be useful for a short blackout. If you wanted a bigger one - or you need a big one for a big house - it could set you back a few thousand dollars. So, it’s not an ideal investment if you don’t suffer from frequent power outages. 

Space consuming

Lastly, generators are fairly bulky and can take up a lot of space. Where will you put one? Some can fit in your basement, but others may need to go outside. This can ruin the aesthetics of your garden as you have a bulky generator sitting there!

All in all, it’s hard to say whether this is a good investment for your home. Perhaps a small generator is worthwhile just in case your power goes out. Who knows, it could help you save a lot of money by keeping all the food in your fridge/freezer from going bad! If you live somewhere that always has issues with blackouts - and you have a lot of space outside - a backup generator is a wise thing to buy. Similarly, it’s almost essential if you get solar panels to store all of the energy produced.