Thinking of getting a generator? North Texas families share what works for them

If recent storms have you thinking about emergency backup power for your home, there are a lot of options to consider beyond extension cords plugged into a portable generator outside.

Koch showed NBC 5 how it takes him about five minutes of work to pull the generator outside, plug it into the system and flip a few switches to get power flowing. Koch said the generator, transfer switch and labor for a professional electrician added up to around $1,500 total.Someone would have to be home to set up the system. If the family is out of town and there’s an outage, the fridge and other essentials wouldn’t have electricity.

“The number one priority is the heating and cooling,” said Green. “We wouldn't care if we had lights if we could keep cool in the summers.” “Anywhere from a portable generator that you can just roll around and plug in a few freezers. You can step it up a little bit and get a bigger portable with a transfer switch and have that setup,” said Dustin Owens, a journeyman electrician with Milestone.

Parker said a consumer should also ask about the lead time for permanent backup power equipment. Demand for generators is typically high after storms and ahead of hurricane season – Parker noted. To understand what size generator you may need, make a list of the essential items you want to have power if there is an outage. This may be the fridge, pool pumps or garage door opener.

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