Almost every aspect of American life depends on uninterrupted power. When the power goes out, even for a short time, it can be incredibly inconvenient, unnerving, and even dangerous.

For a young mother of twins in Delaware County, a power outage that lasted four days following a severe storm left her feeling helpless and stressed. At the time, her twin girls were only newborns. After that experience, she began looking into options for whole-home power generators. She felt fortunate to have found Colonial Generators. Having recently moved, she says she is planning to have Colonial install a home generator once again. She simply cannot imagine living without one anymore.

“In the area that we previously lived, we lost power frequently—as often as two or three times each month, largely because of all the trees around us,” says the homeowner, who asked to remain anonymous. “Even if it was just a few hours, it was hard with new babies. Heating formula or even just keeping the house warm were suddenly stressors I had to think about.”

After having the home generator installed, the homeowner says she never even noticed when the power went out in her area. Backup power would kick on so quickly, so it seemed as though nothing had even happened.

That’s exactly what a whole-home generator is meant to do, according to Nikos Papadopoulos, president of Colonial Generators. When a home loses power, an automatic transfer switch shifts immediately to the standby generator. Only a few seconds pass seconds between the power going off and then kicking back on—like a “quick blip,” Papadopoulos says.

Although Papadopoulos says the trend toward whole-home generators remains in its infancy—approximately five percent of homes have full back-up power, he estimates—the need continues to increase. The COVID-19 pandemic, in which people spent more time than ever at home, has made this need quite clear. When unnerved homeowners were stuck home with no power, Colonial Generators received a significant uptick in calls and requests for price quotes.

“As people experienced power outages in the midst of being stuck at home during this pandemic, I think the need to have power at all times really emerged,” Papadopoulos says. “Homeowners were stocking up on food and had freezers full of meat. There was a lot to be lost if the power went out for too long.”

Likewise, generators have equipped many businesses with essential back-up power. Local restaurants are a fine example. Restaurateurs who were already coping with razor-thin margins even prior to the pandemic certainly cannot afford to throw away any food due to power outages and other preventable disruptions.

With the need rising, Papadopoulos believes home generators will become an increasingly important part of America’s future. He equates it to the comforts of heating and air conditioning, once considered an indulgence that has become a necessity most people cannot imagine doing without.

“We believe in the not-too-distant future that whole-home generators are going to become a standard part of homeowners’ lifestyles,” he adds. “There are many different benefits to having back-up power, and we all want to have life uninterrupted. With people at home more than ever, the need will only grow.”

Of course, he suggests homeowners should carefully vet providers when selecting a professional to install and maintain their generator. With the “newness” surrounding this market, some inexperienced providers have jumped into the fray. The benefit to choosing a provider such as Colonial Generators is that the company focuses solely on generators. 

Worth the Investment
Colonial Generators has the specialized expertise needed to sell, install, and service generators for homes and businesses. Papadopoulos considers this an important point, adding that no one can afford to be left “in limbo” if something goes wrong and anyone is available to fix the problem.

“For some people, especially the elderly or those with medical needs, back-up power is more than an inconvenience,” he says. “For some, losing power can be really serious. It’s important you get a whole-home generator from a reputable company that can also service their work.” 

To his point, the decision often comes down to peace of mind. Going without power for any amount of time can be frustrating. And for the young Delaware County mother referenced earlier in this story, having babies at home without power has the potential to cause unwanted stress. Now, she considers a whole-house generator nothing less than a necessity.

“It’s an investment, but it’s worth it,” she says. “While they have small generators that you can buy yourself and will give you some power, once you’ve experienced whole-house power like this, it’s really hard to imagine living without it.”

Papadopoulos says he’s thrilled to be able to make this service available to homeowners and business owners. Also, because Colonial Generators offers financing plans, whole-home generators are more affordable than ever.

“As an owner, I’m just really excited about what whole-home generators can do for people,” he adds. “It’s a solution for homeowners who not only want to avoid inconveniences to their lifestyle but who want to have comfort knowing that they won’t lose food or heat or even medical supplies or baby formula that needs refrigeration.

“This is a solution that will give people peace of mind,” he continues. “And for many, that’s invaluable.”

Colonial Generators
(844) 376-9374
colonialgenerators.com

Photography courtesy of Colonial Generators

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 22, Issue 1 (October 2021). 
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