Is A Home Standby Generator A Good Investment?

A Standby Generator is a serious purchase and considered a capital improvement project in New York, but how much value is added from your investment? 

Will a standby generator increase the value of my home?

• The short answer to this question is yes, but by how much is an entirely different and more complicated question. Based on data we’ve seen it’s almost universally true that home value increases, but from publications and anecdotes we’ve determined that the added value can be anywhere from 50% - 150% of the generator cost. 
• With that in mind, if your sole purpose of wanting to get a standby generator installed is for increasing home value you may find that a 10K dollar generator project may not add 10K in value to your home. The condition of your generator, age, and regional demand will play a major role in how the value added is determined.

What sort of damage will you sustain during a prolonged power outage?

• It is often the case that homeowners want a standby generator to keep certain appliances and home utilities powered even when they aren’t home, counter to having backup power when they are home. Sometimes with seasonal homes and properties, by the time you discover there’s been a power outage, it’s too late to fix the damage.
• Could frozen pipes cause serious damage to your home? Is a sump pump being used to prevent basement flooding? Got freezers filled with meat and other perishables? If these are potential issues for you, or if you've dealt with damage from power outages in the past, then a standby generator is almost certainly a good investment.

How long can you manage to go without power? How long do power outages in your area generally last?

• One of the major benefits of a backup generator is that it can operate uninterrupted for days without issue. If you’re living in an area where outages lasting longer than an hour or two are common, the value of a standby unit is likely much higher than it would be in areas where they are uncommon.
• A major consideration here, particularly for older people, is how much of an inconvenience will an extended power outage be for you personally? Do you have medical equipment or other electronic devices that need to have power? Will losing heat for a few hours or even days be hazardous to you? These are questions that only you will know the answer to.

In summation, the value of a standby generator comes largely from how inconvenient and hazardous power outages can be for you, and how often they occur. Here in Upstate New York power outages are not exactly uncommon, particularly from late fall to early spring, where blizzards and high winds can wreak havoc on a regular basis. If you’re looking to learn more about standby generators feel free to call our main office at (585) 244-0099 or fill out a web form here on our website, we would be happy to supply you with all the information you need.