{"id":301142,"date":"2026-10-06T22:50:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T22:50:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/301142\/"},"modified":"2026-10-06T22:50:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T22:50:15","slug":"home-generator-for-backup-power-how-much-does-it-cost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/301142\/","title":{"rendered":"Home generator for backup power: How much does it cost?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Kelly<\/a>PITTSBURGH \u2014<\/p>\n

Frequent power outages caused by severe weather in Western Pennsylvania have left families searching for reliable backup power options to prepare for future storms.<\/p>\n

In April 2025, a powerful storm left some families without power for extended periods<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“I could see all the lightning, and the wind was like — I had to get back inside. And our lights flickered off and on,” said Claire Salvatore, of the North Hills.<\/p>\n

“It’s awful. It really is. It’s getting ridiculous. We live in the city,” said Jennifer Capets, of Squirrel Hill.<\/p>\n

RC Watt, owner of a whole-home generator business in Westmoreland County, said his business has seen significant growth.<\/p>\n

“I would say that it’s quadrupled,” Watt said.<\/p>\n

Watt, who previously worked for a power company, said outages are becoming more common due to an aging electrical grid and reduced preventive tree trimming around power lines.<\/p>\n

“I think the reality is that the cost of solving the problem after it occurs is less expensive than preventing the problem from occurring,” he said.<\/p>\n

The most seamless and expensive option for backup power is a whole-home standby generator, which can restore power within seconds without requiring any action from the homeowner. <\/p>\n

“The moment that generator senses that the power has gone out, it kicks on, provides backup power. And then, when the power does come back on, it shuts off and brings the power back in from your utility company,” said Paul Hope, deputy editor at Consumer Reports. <\/p>\n

These permanent systems typically run on natural gas or propane and are considered the “gold standard” by Consumer Reports, especially for people in remote areas, those who experience frequent or multi-day outages, and families relying on powered medical equipment. <\/p>\n

However, the convenience comes at a cost. <\/p>\n

“For a small to mid-size whole-home generator that is going to let you power all the essentials \u2014 maybe not at once, but certainly all the essentials \u2014 you should expect to pay anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 for the all-in price, including installation. In some places, it might be even a little bit more than that,” Hope said.<\/p>\n

Watt said his company’s systems usually start at over $10,000, with the final cost depending on the home’s power needs and whether upgrades to the gas meter or electrical service are required. <\/p>\n

For a lower-cost option, homeowners can consider a lower-output unit, which can power essentials like lights and a refrigerator but not all large appliances simultaneously. <\/p>\n

An even less expensive option is a portable gas generator, which generally costs between $500 and $1,500. Hope recommends having an electrician install a transfer switch to safely power selected circuits, though this could bring the total closer to $2,000. Without a transfer switch, homeowners must rely on extension cords, meaning hardwired equipment like furnaces will not work. <\/p>\n

“A portable generator is certainly large enough to power things like window air conditioners, space heaters, depending on the season, refrigerator, lights, and really important things, too. You’re going to be able to charge your phones, and backup battery packs and other things you would want during an emergency,” Hope said. <\/p>\n

Portable generators require a steady supply of gasoline, with some large models using up to a gallon an hour. They also require special safety precautions.<\/p>\n

“We always recommend that people keep them at least 20 feet away from the home, only use them outdoors, obviously, and make sure that the exhaust is directed away \u2014 not only from your house, but also from any neighbors,” Hope said.<\/p>\n

For smaller needs, a portable battery power station is another option. These are quieter, do not create exhaust, and can keep phones, internet equipment and some plug-in devices running for several hours.<\/p>\n

Whatever option fits a home and budget, Watt emphasized the importance of planning ahead.<\/p>\n

“I enjoy what we do. I have a passion for it. There’s never a good time to lose power,” he said.<\/p>\n

Experts recommend starting by deciding what you cannot go without \u2014 whether that’s a refrigerator, well pump, medical equipment, or simply heat in the winter. Then, compare each option’s price, power, fuel supply, runtime and maintenance before the next storm puts those plans to the test.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PITTSBURGH \u2014 Frequent power outages caused by severe weather in Western Pennsylvania have left families searching for reliable…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":301143,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[124014,121961,2438,124010,1510,124011,124006,28566,7026,13380,124008,73,75,74,124007,124012,7172,2138,124009,32236,124013],"class_list":["post-301142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pittsburgh","tag-all-in-price","tag-backup-power","tag-cost","tag-expensive-option","tag-family","tag-home-generator","tag-home-generators","tag-homeowner","tag-light","tag-outage","tag-paul-hope","tag-pittsburgh","tag-pittsburgh-headlines","tag-pittsburgh-news","tag-portable-battery-power-station","tag-portable-gas-generator","tag-power","tag-power-outages","tag-rc-watt","tag-refrigerator","tag-whole-home-generator-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=301142"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301142\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/301143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=301142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=301142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=301142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}