Blackouts Threaten Company Productivity and Sales

Did you know that, according to The Washington Post, today’s power outages take 20% longer to fix and cost the U.S. as much as $150 billion per year? Complications and expenses arising from blackouts are getting worse, and American households and businesses need to adequately plan for it. What is the best solution?

Portable and commercial generators provide necessary alternatives to going without power. Homeowners no longer have to contend with extreme weather and suffer common inconveniences, such as spoiled foods and cold showers. Businesses can stay on track, without worrying about lost productivity and/or sales. Here’s how to choose the generators or generating sets that will work best for you:

• Portable Generators

  Relatively small to mid-sized generators output 3,000 to 8,500 watts, according to The Boston Globe. To put that into perspective, the average refrigerator requires at least 600 watts of power to operate. Household lights typically utilize just 60 to 200. Portable units cost only $400 to $1,000, and provide a convenient, low-maintenance power supply for U.S. households. Small units run on widely accessible fuels, such as gasoline and propane, and are easy to transport and store.

  Perhaps that only downside to modestly sized, portable units is that they have output limitations. Homeowners would not be able to run air conditioning, or heat their entire home, using a small residential generator. Whole home generators are necessary for large power drains.

• Commercial or Industrial Generators

  Industrial generators output an impressive 5,000 to 15,000 watts. Business owners can rely on large units to keep operations up and running. Grocers and other food-based companies do not have to worry about losing large amounts of perishable stock. Natural gas and propane fuel large-scale industrial generators. These fuels are relatively safe, and much less flammable, than gasoline. Hefty generators, however, will be a considerable investment. Business or corporate heads can expect to pay anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 per unit.

Blackouts can leave homeowners without power in below freezing temperatures. Power outages have the potential to devastate company productivity and sales, or even damage large amounts of stock. The right generator can keep the power on, and save U.S. residents and businesses from devastating side effects and losses. More research here.