yes, generators can be costly, but what i figured out was that the least expensive whole house model, will handle many peoples homes. they over sell most people on which unit to buy.
as long as it will handle the ac, heat, fridge (or 2), i don't know if it's worth it to actually buy one that will really support 2 houses.
covering central air will mean you need more watts or whatever its called.
i bought one up from the lowest model
installation is at least the cost of the model that you buy.
i have had mine since feb 2015 and i just had it serviced for the first time, last month.
i suspect that the generators cost more now, if for no other reason then they have infomercials now. when i bought mine, they didn't.
while they say you should have it serviced every year, i was not going for that. that is just how they make more money.
if you have to use it for a 2 week outage every year, have someone check the oil, as it could get low. since, i've had it, i may have a 6+/- hour outage every year. so far, this year, no outages. keep a bottle or two on hand.
they do offer a payment plan, but i had saved up for it, for a few years and just paid it off and because i paid cash, i insisted on a discount. and he agreed. it was $800 less for the installation.
while annoying as you know what, get at least 3-4 estimates. you may be surprised like i was, about the range of estimates. it didn't matter if the person was local. when you call or email, they will let you know if you are too far from where they want to travel.
i live in the north east and the winters can be brutal and since i found out that a few of my power outages were caused by people driving and hit ht main utility pole for my area, i am happy to have the generator.
it does bring me some peace of mind in the winter and on the very hots days in the summer.
if you can swing it, i say get it, especially if you have harsh weather. it's better to finance it and have some peace of mind, then to pretend like you're happy in the dark.
having said that, this may be the worst time of year to buy one, 'cause people are starting to get scared. i started getting estimates (the 2nd time) in january, when i figured they were slow and the price was better/lower, then when i first started in july/august.
if you move in the future, you can take it with you.
the weather is changing at least here and not for the better.
and because many utility companies are tired of having to pay for people to come from other states, to fix the poles, run you wiring, etc, etc, the outages are getting longer.
i remember talking to the guys that were trying to restore power on my block one year. they were from alabama said that many people in other states (like them), don't like coming to my state because the utility company doesn't want to pay for a hotel room and wanted them to take a cut in pay. and that the utility company takes too long to have the trees removed or cut down, and just hold up the process.
naturally, i was not surprised by this, because it's always about the money. the longer the utility company can hold onto the money, the happier they are. "we" the people are just about on our own for things like this. just sad and greedy.
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