Finding the right source of backup power for your home is crucial these days. With more power outages, you want to make sure that you are protected in the event that the electrical grid turns off.
In these events, there are two main home batteries that people turn to: gas-powered and backup batteries. Each of them offer their own perks and drawbacks that are worth considering. To help you differentiate between the two, here are some major differences between them.
Price
We know price is a common item on difference lists, but this is important to note for many reasons. Broadly speaking, you’re going to be paying a higher upfront cost with a backup battery when compared to a gas generator. Why there is such a huge price difference boils down to the cost of production and installing.
The other thing to note is that while backup batteries cost more up front, it’s also worth looking at the lifetime costs from both. In that respect, a backup battery will end up saving you more money.
This is especially true as production costs drop and thus the price of backup batteries themselves.
Maintenance And Service
Another big difference is the maintenance and service. With gas-powered generators, you’re going to need yearly services and repair work done on it. This is to ensure the generator works and is safe and clean.
With backup batteries there is next to no maintenance needed at all.
Fuel Costs
Fuel costs is another difference. When using a gas generator, you’ll need gas in order to fuel it in the first place. Since companies that provide these services don’t provide their own gas for free, you’ll have to buy some yourself in order to produce power.
With backup batteries there are a few ways you can power it. Either through your own home, but a better alternative is through a solar energy system. If you have a system like this built, you can have the company installing the battery hook it up that energy system. As a result, you are getting free energy thanks to the sun.
Incentives
Because of the higher costs and also the fact backup batteries are better for the environment in most cases, the government issues various incentives when you buy a battery storage system. These incentives cut back costs and make it more appealing to go for them.
If you buy a gas-powered battery, you’ll be hard pressed to find any incentives at all.
Reliability
While there are a number of things in favour of backup batteries, one downside that’s worth noting is the reliability. Gas-powered generators put out more power and have a higher storage capacity than backup batteries. As such, there is still a use for gas-powered generators as they can meet energy demands for power-hungry houses for weeks if needed.
That said, this is when you are comparing the power output of a single generator to a single battery. As such, one way you can mitigate this is by having many batteries installed and/or connecting them to solar panels.
While there are some downsides to backup batteries, those few downsides don’t cover the amount of merits and benefits you can get from having this type of system in your home. In the end, back up batteries provide a more cost-effective, flexible, and environmentally friendly option for homeowners looking to power their home during power outages.
