Meet Heather…………

Heather is a Houston resident who recently purchased a new home in far north Houston.

Heather commutes daily to downtown Houston so coming home to her beautiful new home is a welcome and relaxing retreat, especially after a long stressful day.

Heather and her husband Andrew anticipate this home to be their last move, so careful planning was taken during the building phase to select additional features and upgrades that would provide a comfortable lifestyle for both of them.

They also were careful to consider options that would increase the value of their home.

When reviewing options and upgrades for their new home, Heather and her husband considered any long term potential circumstances that could affect their everyday lives.

At the top of Heather’s list was a natural gas generator, the type that would power on automatically in the event of a power interruption.

During the building phase, Heather researched various generator vendors using the internet. She and her husband reviewed several proposals before making their final decision. Installation was so fast and easy and their vendor took care of everything working simultaneously with other contractors during construction.

Once the decision was made on the vendor, the couple then had to determine what appliances and rooms were most important during a power interruption - this would help determine the size of their generator.

For Heather and her husband, home security was a high priority and maintaining power to the alarm system is important.

Anyone familiar with Houston knows how storms and hurricanes can quickly affect lives, homes, business or possessions.

Heather and her husband enjoy cooking as well as collecting wines; a luxury they both worked hard to achieve and wanted to protect.

In the end, they decided to backup their homes’ entire first floor in order to utilize air-conditioning, heating and various appliances.

Their generator is equipped with an automatic transfer switch so that within seconds of a power outage, the generator automatically kicks in – keeping power to everything on the first floor. Once utility power is restored, the transfer switch automatically shuts down the generator until it is needed again.

And as outdoor living enthusiasts, Heather and Andrew enjoy the convenience of natural gas for their gas grill, outdoor fire pit, gas lamps and spa.

Heather’s new home community features natural gas - another important resource that Heather and Andrew insisted be available in their new home. They realize that natural gas not only provides comfort and savings, it’s the right choice for energy efficiency and a cleaner environment

Heather has already benefited from her generator’s standby power on two separate occasions due to storms.

She is very pleased with their purchase decision, appreciates the value it brings to their home, and believes it was a wise investment.

Heather and Andrew feel better prepared for the uncertainty of severe weather.

To learn more about generators….keep reading

It was nice meeting you Heather! Thanks for letting us visit your new home!

A comparison of generators

Type Description

Natural Gas Stand by Generator Uses environmentally friendly natural gas as the fuel source for safe, convenient and reliable operation. Features an automatic transfer switch that detects a loss of utility power and starts generator within seconds of sensing an outage. Once utility power resumes, the transfer switch automatically ceases operation of the generator and restores the home or business to utility power.

Propane Standby Generator Uses propane as the fuel source, which is typically more expensive than natural gas. Issues could arise regarding the continued supply and delivery of propane during periods of extended electric outages. Can also be equipped with an automatic transfer switch.

Gasoline Portable Generator Uses gasoline as fuel source, which is typically more expensive than natural gas or propane. These generators generally have lower kilowatt outputs and require constant refueling, which can be a challenge after a severe storm when gasoline is in short supply. Portable generators start and stop manually.

Thinking of a generator? Ask yourself these questions

Do you telecommute? How important is maintaining power to your home office equipment?

Do you rely on your security alarm system to protect your home or business? Would it give you additional peace of mind to know that if you are gone and lose power, this feature would function automatically?

Do you have small children who get anxious in the dark or are hard to entertain without their television or video movies?

Do you collect art or wine or have other possessions that are susceptible to heat and humidity and therefore require regulated room temperatures?

Did you have to drain your pool entirely because your pump was not working to adequately clean the water?

Are you concerned about safety in using a portable generator?

Do you have additional freezers with your stocked food supply?

Can you live comfortably without air conditioning for several days?

Have you ever had trouble getting gasoline or propane fuel in the past (during a storm)?