Nearly 50% of homeowners (43%, actually) have had their interest in backup power increase since the outset of the pandemic, according to Sunrun’s “2020 Homeowner Survey Report,” which collected responses from more than 1,000 homeowners nationwide.

And while the survey was conducted nationwide, Sunrun put a specific emphasis on Californians, with half of all respondents living in the state. Responses were also split almost evenly between men and women, with 1% choosing not to identify, with ages ranging from 18 to over 75 and representation from rural, urban and suburban homeowners.

The growing affinity towards backup power can be mostly attributed to two factors: increased power usage resulting in higher bills and a greater frequency of power outages. Of all questions asked, the greatest consensus came with regards to increased power usage, as 56% of homeowners shared that the Covid-19 pandemic has increased their home power use. As a result, 47% have found their power bills to be higher than they were last summer, with one in every six respondents sharing that it has been a noticeable increase of $40 or more per month.

And while the amount that Americans are paying for power since the pandemic is increasing, their access to and the reliable delivery of this power is going the opposite way. Almost 33% of respondents shared that they experience — or even expect – power outages, with this number rising to 57% of Californians. Of all the homeowners that experienced outages over the summer, 47% felt that they had little to no preparation for the outages.

These outages affect lives beyond just the inconvenience of being powerless. 39% of millennial and 37% of Gen X respondents shared that their ability to do remote work or schooling has been significantly or very significantly impacted by outages, though this figure falls to just 3% for boomers.

It’s this feeling of being unprepared and the real-life consequences of losing power for extended periods of time that are pushing more and more people to consider backup power. 45% of homeowners shared that backup power would make them feel more prepared during outages, with 38% of respondents who work from home sharing that they’ve experienced outages that have made them consider installing backup power, like batteries.

These figures are likely to rise in the coming years, with more and more of the younger generations coming around on the idea of backup power. 61% of homeowners between 24 and 39 shared that they are more interested in backup power now than ever before, with this number being nearly double that of homeowners aged 56 to 74, which is 31%.

If you want to take control of when you have power, add a Generac PWRcell to your home with Breiter Planet Properties: https://store.breiterplanet.com/products/generacs-pwrcell-fully-installed 

This article originally appeared on pv-magazine-usa.com, and has been republished with permission by pv magazine (www.pv-magazine.com and www.pv-magazine-usa.com).