When is the Best Time of the Year to Buy a Generator?
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average American lost home power for eight hours in 2020. That may not seem like a long time, but when you consider that an unpowered fridge only keeps food cold for around four hours, even a short outage can cost you hundreds of dollars.
To protect yourself year-round from the effects of a power outage—whether they are devastating or mildly inconvenient—you can buy a backup home generator at DuroMax. But when should you shop around?
For most people, the best time of the year to buy a generator is between late summer and early fall. However, those with mild winters and intense summers may want to purchase a generator in the spring.
In this short guide, we’ll help you determine which category you fall under.
Who Should Buy a Generator in Late Summer?
If you live in a region with milder summers and cold, snowy winters, your ideal window for purchasing is between August and October. The weather during these months is more predictable, and severe weather events are rare.
Because the wind and snow from winter storms are the most common causes of power outages in colder states, buying your home generator before the mercury dips is recommended.
States in which you should secure your backup power while the days are still warm include:
- Alaska
- Maine
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Montana
- North Dakota
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Who Should Buy a Generator in the Spring?
The other optimal time to buy a generator is early spring—especially if you live on the Atlantic coast. From June to November, you will want a generator for hurricane season. Purchasing either portable generators or home standby generators in late summer puts you behind the curve. To be adequately prepared, you’ll want to buy ahead of time as well as inform yourself about the differences between a portable generator vs standby generator to see which will better suit your needs.
Buying in spring is also worthwhile if your location is prone to power outages due to summer heatwaves or wildfires
If you live in the following states, you may want to go generator shopping in March:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- South Carolina
- Texas
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- Utah
- Idaho
- Colorado
- Oklahoma
Keep in mind that weather patterns can vary from county to county—or even neighborhood to neighborhood—so your “ideal buying window” should be taken with a grain of salt.
Why Timing Matters
Buying a generator at the right time is about more than having emergency power when you need it. When you shop for a house generator during the months mentioned above, you’ll have an overall better experience for a handful of reasons.
#1. Lower Prices
How much is a generator , exactly? Like all products, generators are subject to the whims of supply and demand. As such, the worst time to buy a generator is in the midst of a natural disaster, when everyone in your neighborhood needs one, too.
As unprepared homeowners rush to hardware stores to fulfill their power needs, prices can increase dramatically. Don’t be caught off guard by an unexpected string of bad weather. You’ll end up paying more for your generator—if you can even find one!
#2. More Availability
When storm season hits and panic buying ensues, shoppers are likely to snap up any generator they can find. If you arrive at the store even a day later than everyone else, you may be faced with slim pickings.
Maybe you wanted a natural gas generator, but the only remaining options are diesel generators. Do you settle for an option that doesn’t suit your needs? Or do you go home without an emergency power source?
When you buy ahead, you’re less likely to face this kind of dilemma.
#3. Moderate Weather Conditions
In more ways than one, the weather plays a role in determining the best time to buy a generator.
Of course, weather patterns dictate when you’ll need generator power to kick in. After all, you probably won’t use your generator on a mild summer day.
But inclement weather can also make it more challenging to buy a new generator. For instance, traveling to the store is much harder when the streets are flooded or when there is three feet of snow on the ground.
Ultimately, you know your area best; buy your generator well before you usually experience bad weather.
Get the Best Generator at the Best Time with DuroMax
By and large, generators are emergency preparedness tools. This means you need to have your generator on standby before you need it. If you’re rushing to buy a generator right before hurricane season hits (or worse, after your power has already gone out), you’re not truly benefitting from having a backup generator.
When it comes to safety and preparedness, there’s no time like the present to stock up on everything you need.
If a home backup generator is on your list, there’s no better place to shop than DuroMax. With generators for every application, you can rest easy knowing that your family will be safe during a power outage—and that your leftovers won’t go bad, either. Shop DuroMax today.
