The Current - SWFL Electric's Info Center

‘Tis the season when the great Sunshine State welcomes an influx of Northern snowbirds, eager to escape the chilly winter by heading south. 

As soon as the temperature begins to drop, these retirees pack up their bags and say “see ya in a few months!” to their summer home. Ready for warm weather, these nomads typically stay in Florida from November/December through March/April— or as long as the North sees ice and snow.

Four to six months is a long time to leave your home unattended, thousands of miles away. That’s why it’s crucial to winterize your Northern home before making the trek South.

If you’re new to Florida, it’s important to understand how serious hurricane season should be taken in our southern state. Category 3 and above storms hit our region regularly, and repercussions can be catastrophic if proper precautions aren’t followed.

Here’s a quick list of some hurricane preparedness ideas to prepare before, during, and after the next SWFL storm:

If your generator isn’t operating the way it did when it was first installed, there might be something wrong. 

Here you are again—rummaging through your garage for your portable generator. A hurricane will be bearing down in just a matter of hours, but just when you go to fire your backup power source up… nothing! The generator won’t start.

When it comes to generator shopping, it can be hard to know where to start. A long list of terms get tossed around, many of which overlap and can unintentionally confuse— electric generators, gas generators, standby generators, automatic power generators, back-up generators, etc.

In the market for a new home generator? Sometimes it’s hard to know where to even start. Liquid propane or natural gas? Wattage? Standby or portable?

Ah, the ultimate question, “How long can my generator run?”

The truth is: there’s no simple answer to this inquiry. There are a number of factors that will influence how long your generator will continuously run after its fired up as well as its lifetime before ultimately calling it quits. 

You’ve been wanting to invest in a whole house generator for some time now, but the cost has always scared you away. 

As a Florida resident, you know heavy winds and rains knock over trees and power lines all the time— and you admit you could really benefit from a backup generator.

This past hurricane season, Irma gave Southwest Florida a not so gentle reminder of the importance of hurricane preparedness. When making your hurricane preparedness plan this year, you may be considering adding a generator to your list. But which brand should you choose?