Frequent power outages around Ottawa left one homeowner asking if a whole-home generator was worth the price or if a portable generator was enough.
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"Thinking about getting a generator setup for the house after seeing all the outages around Ottawa lately," the homeowner wrote a couple of weeks ago. They were unsure whether a full standby system or a portable unit with a proper hookup would be the better fit.
"Mostly just want enough backup power for the fridge, furnace, internet, etc. Has anyone had one installed in Ottawa recently?" the original poster added.
That simple goal turned the thread into a comparison of costs.
"If it's only a few times a year, paying $15k+ for a standby setup seems pretty hard to justify when a portable setup can cover the essentials," one commenter said. The OP responded, writing, "That's what I'm starting to think too. I don't really need the whole house running, just the basics."
Another commenter laid out the price gap, stating, "Portable you can probably get set up for $3k or $4k. Full standby is $15k to $20k."
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More background
Much of the discussion came back to how often the power fails. For households that experience only occasional outages, commenters suggested the cost of whole-home backup may be tough to defend when a smaller system can keep the most important equipment going.
Refrigeration, heating, and internet service are often the first priorities during a blackout, especially in places where severe weather can turn a temporary outage into something much more disruptive.
In other words, the trade-off discussed in the thread was convenience versus price. A standby system offers more comprehensive coverage, while a portable setup is a lower-cost way to handle critical needs.
The OP updated the post, writing that they went with "the portable + GenerLink route." They added, "Full standby would've been nice, but for what I need I just couldn't justify the extra cost."
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