Generators For Your Customers

It’s Time to Talk Resiliency

When is the best time to talk to your customers about resilient homes and the need for a propane standby generator? Today. Because power outages are becoming more frequent. According to Eaton’s 2014 Blackout Tracker Annual Report, the United States suffered 3,634 power outages in 2014, affecting more than 14 million people. That’s 12 percent higher than 2013, and 285 percent more often than in 1984. What’s more, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, outages are actually lasting longer. Despite the financial and emotional toll a power outage can place on a family, only 27 percent of homeowners report having any source of backup power.

This creates an opportunity for you to stand apart. By starting a conversation with homebuyers about resiliency and the benefits of a propane standby generator, you can:

• Set yourself apart from competitors who aren’t building resilient homes.
• Increase the perception of quality and value of the homes you build.
• Proactively meet customers’ needs and the growing requests for standby power.

Propane: Resiliency Defined

In areas where natural disasters have occurred, many builders have discovered the value of building and marketing more durable homes. Yet resilient building is about more than “sturdiness.” A propane standby generator will give homeowners heating and cooling, lighting, refrigeration, and the amenities their neighbors are without, after the power is knocked out. These are what make families feel safer and more secure when the rest of the neighborhood is without power.

A reliable propane standby generator is a key part of resilient design, which allows a house to:

• Resist hazards brought on by major disasters, such as damage to appliances or electronics, spoiled food, loss of heat or air conditioning, hotel costs, and more.
• Continue providing the primary function of a home — protecting your family — after a disaster.
• Reduce the magnitude or duration of a disruptive event to a property and the impact on homeowners.

Ask the Question: Are You Prepared?

Think back to the last power outage you endured. Do you remember the uncertainty, wondering if the power would return before your food spoiled? Or before the temperature in the house dropped or skyrocketed? You watched as the battery on your cell phone drained and your contact with loved ones was cut off. Your customers have been there, too. The Propane Education & Research Council conducted research in partnership with B2B International Research and found only 40 percent of homeowners say they’re even somewhat prepared for this situation; 15 percent feel very unprepared.

You can help them overcome those feelings of helplessness, because a propane standby generator will give them more than just power. It will give them peace of mind. They’ll feel more than prepared the next time they see storm clouds on the horizon, knowing their family will have heat, light, power, and a hot meal.

So, What Makes Propane the Best Choice for Standby Power?

The Power of Propane

A standby generator powered by propane offers advantages that other fuel sources simply can’t match:

• Permanently installed and supplied by an above- or below- ground tank, it starts automatically, the moment the power goes down.
• Supplies supplemental electricity in as little as 10 seconds after an outage.
• Propane doesn’t degrade over time, unlike diesel or gasoline, making it an ideal standby power fuel.
• Most units produce as little as 60 decibels of noise, comparable to normal conversation.
• Available in a variety of capacities to fit the needs of any size home.
• Produces significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions than diesel or gasoline.
• Propane is non-toxic, non-poisonous, and won’t contaminate soil or water.
• Can handle an entire home’s energy needs for days, unlike solar- or wind- powered systems.

Propane Provides Energy Versatility

The same propane that will power a home’s generator can also power the other major appliances that make life less stressful during a power outage.

Adding these propane appliances, and more, throughout a home can reduce the size and cost of the standby generator, by reducing the demands on it.

The Cost of Being Unprepared

As you discuss propane standby generators with your customers, you’re likely to face one final objection: the cost. More than 50 percent of homeowners say the expense is the only reason they have no form of backup power. Yet the financial and emotional tolls of a power outage far outweigh the price of a propane standby generator. When homeowners consider all that they have to lose physically and emotionally, the decision becomes simple.

The average homeowner will experience 3.5 power interruptions in a two-year period, and even short outages lasting less than four hours will cost homeowners an average of $1,250. That’s nearly $4,500 in spoiled food, hotels, damaged electronics, and more.

By talking to your customers about the need for a propane backup generator, you could be saving them thousands of dollars, and a mountain of stress.

Don’t Leave Your Customers in the Dark

The demand for homes that can weather any storm is rising, and resilient builders stand apart from the competition. So give your customers the homes they want and the peace of mind they deserve, that only a propane standby generator can deliver. Learn more about the benefits of propane standby power at PropanePowerGen.com.

WHAT HOMEOWNERS ARE SAYING

Fifteen percent of homeowners feel very unprepared for the next power outage. How ready are you?

“Late last week I woke up to a dark, cold, silent house…”

“It’s the ungodly heat in 100 degree weather or the time we had no heat for four days when it was below freezing outside. I couldn’t care about finances. I just wanted to live or breathe.”

“I can’t flush the toilet, because I have a well and an electric pump.”

“I’m concerned I’ll lose our food in the refrigerator and standalone freezer. I have also lost a desktop computer when there was a power surge that preceded the outage.”

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