Heat
Your furnace needs electricity for both the burner controls and the blower. No power means no heat moving through the house.
Outage planning
When the power goes out, more than the lights stop.
For homes on a well with an oil or propane furnace, electricity is what keeps heat, water and food storage working.
Water
The well pump is a 240-volt motor. When it stops, the taps stop too.
Food
After about four hours, the fridge and freezer begin warming. A long outage turns into a cleanup job.
Dry basement
If your sump pump is running when the outage hits, it needs backup power to keep doing its job.
At the same time
Two ways to set up your house
| What you need | Essential circuits, about 14 kW | Whole house, about 22 kW |
|---|---|---|
| Furnace and well pump | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fridge, freezer and sump pump | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lights, kitchen outlets and router | ✓ | ✓ |
| Electric range and dryer | — | ✓ |
| Installed price range | $9,800–$12,500 | $14,500–$19,000 |
On propane, a 500-gallon tank runs a 22 kW generator at half load for about a week.
Free home estimate
Find the right amount of backup power.
We will look at the panel, fuel path and placement, then give you a written quote within two business days.