Summer Power Outages: How Much do They Cost?

Spring is here and summer is right around the corner.  Along with thinking about walks outside and days at the pool, it is also time to start making sure that we are prepared for summer power outages from summer storms.  Power outages can cost you more than just your movie night, they can actually end up being quite a financial strain.

Here are some possible consequences and subsequent costs that can accrue from power outages due to summer storms:

Spoiled Food from Refrigerator Not Running: On average, a grocery trip can cost around $400 depending on the size and habits of your family.  This means that you could lose $200 or more in spoiled foods during extended power outages.

Flooded Basement from Sump Pump Not Working: Losing power during a heavy storm can be a major issue if you typically rely on a sump pump to prevent the basement from flooding.  Many people tend to keep old valuables such as photographs and other memories in the basement that could be destroyed.  Appliances, televisions, and furniture can also be ruined from water damage. Losing a television, washer, dryer, and furniture could end up costing you around $1,000-3,000.

Water purification systems stop working-need to buy bottled water. If the power goes out and water purification systems fail, it will be necessary to purchase bottled water for drinking.  A 24 pack can cost around $7.

Other costs associated with power outages can include the need to buy candles, batteries, and flashlights.

We can’t stop mother nature and thunderstorms, but we can work to make sure that our home is prepared.  Investing in generators can be a way to keep the important things such as refrigerators and sump pumps running in your home.  Automatic generators, especially, can be very helpful as they will turn on automatically-even if you are not home when the power goes out.  For more information about being ready for power outages and automatic generators, contact FLAME!