Buying a whole home generator in McLean, VA can seem like a daunting challenge and an overwhelming task because there are so many options on the market today. That’s why we wrote this article. Our goal is to help streamline and simplify the process for you.
Before we get started, we’d first like to say congratulations though! Not many people fully appreciate how fragile the electrical grid is, so few people take steps like the one you’re now considering. Kudos to you! Here’s what you need to do to get started.
Step 1 – The Home Energy Audit
Before you actually buy a whole home generator in McLean, VA, you first need to have a better understanding of how much energy you’re using each month. The home energy audit provides that information.
You can find lots of great resources online if you want to do it yourself, or if you’d rather let the pros handle that and give you a report, that’s a service we offer, and we’re happy to assist.
Step 2 – Shrink Your Energy Footprint
The more power generating capacity you need, the more expensive the generator you buy will be so anything you can do to reduce the amount of energy you’re using will help on that front.
Armed with the data from your home energy audit, you’ll be in a position to make smart decisions about what to tweak and change to reduce your energy footprint, in some cases, drastically. For instance, just swapping out your incandescent bulbs with LEDs and putting your appliances on smart power stripes can cut your home energy use by up to 25%, which is pretty impressive when you think about it.
Step 3 – Make a Plan
Let’s say the power goes out tomorrow. Which specific appliances will you want your whole home generator in McLean, VA to power, and which ones can you live without?
Some people make this simple and just plan to power everything, but others will take a more strategic, pragmatic view here. There are no right answers, but again, be aware that the more generating capacity you need, the more expensive it’ll be.
Step 4 – Find a Generator
Armed with all of the information from the steps above, you’re ready to go generator shopping. Unfortunately, there are scores of generators on the market, so choosing the best one for you and your family can be a tougher task than you might think.
We can help with that too if you like. We carry a full line of world-class Generac generators which are among the best on the market today, and we can help you select the right one for your home and family based on the information we outlined above.
If you buy from us, we’ll come out and install it for you and instruct you on how to use it. We can even put your new generator on a preventive maintenance plan, giving you greater peace of mind and one less thing to worry about.
If that sounds good to you, give our office a call today.