Standby Generators Offer Peace of Mind & Uninterrupted Power

As reliable as electricity is today, outages can and do still happen from time to time. To ensure your life continues to run smoothly, you may want to consider purchasing a standby generator to provide your home with uninterrupted power – no matter the weather conditions outside.

Lake Region Electric Cooperative has partnered with Briggs & Stratton to create a standby generator program specifically designed to meet the needs of homeowners in our region. “One of the most common reasons people decide to purchase a generator through us is simply for the peace of mind it provides,” explains Steve Haiby, manager of marketing/energy management at LREC. “They appreciate knowing they don’t need to worry about storms coming through and having an extended outage when they are dependent on sump pumps to avoid basement flooding.”

With many seasonal lake homes in the area, the standby generators are also a great fit for people who may not live in their homes year-round. Even if homeowners are down south for the winter, a standby generator will automatically kick in during an outage and provide power for the home. This is another reason people commonly give for wanting a generator, Haiby says, to simply maintain backup power so food doesn’t spoil in their refrigerators and freezers while they are away. For individuals with medical issues requiring electricity to power medical equipment, a generator can even function as a life-saving addition to a home.

We offer multiple sizes of generators, all of which are designed to sense a power outage and turn on automatically. Backup power is delivered to the home until utility power returns. Having this automation in place saves homeowners the hassle of trying to start a portable generator and finding the proper cord to connect. The generators run on LP or natural gas so they do not require refueling with gasoline or worrying about stale fuel.

After a transmission outage resulted in four hours without power during the winter, LREC member Marcy Vavricka was so grateful for the way her new generator automatically kicked in. “I had been thinking about getting a generator for years,” Vavricka said. “I knew I wanted one, especially because of the winters. Sitting in the dark without lights is about the worst thing. I am really happy I decided to get one.” As your trusted local energy provider, our team takes care of sizing, installing, and offers a preventative maintenance program for the generators. Vavricka said the entire process worked very smoothly. “Everybody was so great to work with.”

Generators are sized by reviewing the past 12 months of historical energy use for a property. A load profile is put together showing the energy usage patterns of an existing account. When sizing for a new home, LREC may work with the homeowners' electrician to get a load calculation. A technician will then work with the homeowner to determine the best site on the property for the generator based on factors such as the size of electrical service, off-peak programs, fuel supply, and the locations of dryer and furnace venting.

After hearing about our standby generator program, area resident Jim Haider called the co-op to learn more and scheduled a site visit with a technician. “They talked to us about our options and particular situation, and gave us a cost estimate,” Haider recalls. “It’s not a cheap investment, but we looked at the benefits of it and decided it was a good thing to do.” Haider says he thinks about purchasing a generator as a similar concept to buying homeowners insurance. “You may not always use it, but it’s a good investment to make,” he says. Other factors influencing his decision were the warranty that comes with the generator and the convenience of having the unit installed by his local cooperative. Just a week or two after his residential standby generator system was installed, Haider experienced a few short outages and was pleased to see that the generator kicked in right away. The whole house unit provided power for everything other than what was set on off-peak. “It is nice to know that if there is a storm some time when my wife and I are away from home, we won’t have to worry about heat in the house,” Haider says. “If you have a freezer full of meat or it’s 20 below outside, you’re going to be assured you’ll have power and things will operate just the same as normal. I guess the peace of mind our generator provides is really the biggest thing for us.”

As a service to customers, we provide a maintenance package with the generators. We even have an EASY-PAY plan, which allows members to pay for the cost of the generator on their electric bill over a 48-month period. "We are proud to offer quality standby generators from a reputable company like Briggs & Stratton and make them affordable through our purchase plan," explains Dan Husted, VP of business development at LREC.