Scituate loses power in a way inland towns do not. Coastal wind, salt spray on lines, and flooding near the harbor and along the shore mean outages here arrive with the storm and often stay for a while after it passes. If you have lived here through a nor'easter, you already know the pattern.
The cost of that is not the dark. It is the heat going off in February, the sump pump stopping while water is still coming, the well pump quitting so there is no water at all, and a refrigerator and freezer full of food on a clock. A standby generator with a correctly installed transfer switch takes all of that off the table automatically.
We size the generator to what you actually need to run, install it and the transfer switch, pull the permit, coordinate the inspection, and test it under load so you find out it works now rather than during the next storm.
What a proper install includes
- A load assessment so the generator matches the circuits that matter to you
- A transfer switch, automatic or manual, wired and permitted correctly
- Siting the unit for clearances, exhaust, noise and coastal exposure
- Coordination with the fuel source, whether natural gas or propane
- Any panel or service work the install requires
- Permit, town inspection and a tested, documented handoff
- A walkthrough so you know exactly what happens when the power drops
Standby or portable
A standby generator is permanently installed, starts itself when the utility drops, and runs on natural gas or propane, so nobody is outside in the weather with a cord. A portable unit costs less up front but needs someone home to set it up and fuel it, and it only powers what you can reach.
Either way, the transfer switch is the part that matters. It is what keeps generator power out of the utility lines, which protects line crews and your own equipment. Running a generator through an improvised connection is the single most dangerous thing people do during an outage, and it is why this is a permitted, inspected job.
Sizing it honestly
Oversizing wastes money and undersizing means you trip out the moment the well pump and the heat call at the same time. We walk the house, look at what you want covered, and give you a real number: heat, water, sump, refrigeration, a few key outlets and lighting for most homeowners, or whole-house if that is what you want. You see the tradeoffs before you choose.
Frequently asked questions
Serving the South Shore
Boston Light & Power serves Boston, Milton, Quincy, Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham, Scituate, Cohasset, Hanover, and Norwell. We are licensed under Massachusetts Master Electrician License #24281-A.
Electrical Emergency? We Answer 24/7.
Burning smell, sparking outlet, hot panel or sudden power loss? Boston Light & Power provides 24/7 emergency electrical service across Boston, Milton, Quincy, Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham, Scituate and Cohasset. Licensed electricians, every hour of every day.
Call (857) 855-7899 NowServing the South Shore
Boston Light & Power serves Boston, Milton, Quincy, Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham, Scituate, Cohasset, Hanover, Norwell and the surrounding South Shore towns. Master Electrician license 24281-A, fully insured, and rated 5.0 across 85 Google reviews.
Ready before the next storm?
We will size it, install it, permit it and test it. Call (857) 855-7899.
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