Standby or Back-up Generators
Many customers have contacted PSE and have expressed interest in obtaining "Standby" or "Back-up" generators. They have Internet based businesses, report from home as employees of other businesses, have critical residential and commercial process equipment, special health related needs, or just want the safety, comfort, and security that a generator can provide.
The purchase and proper sizing of a generator can be confusing. There are many issues and requirements that must be considered and we want to assure that both your safety and that of our employees is maintained whenever a generator is utilized.
More information
- Read more about standby or back-up generators (564 KB PDF).
- PSE has trained personnel who can assist you with additional questions. Contact a PSE Energy Advisor at 1-800-562-1482, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Permanently Installed Generators
More and more homes and businesses are purchasing permanently installed generators. Permanently installed generators are installed outside the home or business, connected to natural gas or propane fuel and are always ready to provide electricity in the event of a power outage. These units come in weather protected enclosures and are designed to be in service for many years. These generators use an Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) to start and transfer your home or business energy usage to the generator within seconds when utility-fed power is unavailable. When the utility-fed power has returned, the ATS switches your home or business back to the utility and shuts down the generator. They operate without any action or oversight. They even test themselves weekly to assure you that they are ready 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even when you're away!
Portable Generators
Portable generators are available from many retail companies in our service area. Most are designed to be manually started and connected directly to individual electrical devices or connected to the home via a correctly and legally installed manual transfer switch. Most are fueled by gasoline. These are systems that will not operate without someone who will start, connect and constantly oversee their operation.
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