1) Cut your electric use
2) Ask the power co if they have an off peak meter available
3) Ask the power guys what that gadget is
4) Call some local electricians and ask about backup generators. Might
be possible to put in a generator that runs off natural gas.

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

"Jason" wrote in message
oups.com...
We had a major storm here a few days ago, and as a result someone was
damaged underground. The electric company is suppose to replace it,
but
this involves destroying my yard, as well as potentially destroying my
paved driveway and sidewalk, flower beds, etc.

In the meanwhile, they brought out a self-supportive... something...
on
a hand truck, that's plugged in to my regular power meter. It's all
encased so that I can't see what it is, but I suspect that it's a deep
cycle battery and some sort of a transformer. This thing has been
powering my house effectively for well over 48 hours.

So I can't help but wonder: if this stand-alone thing would power my
house for 48 hours (including my central heat and air, and my range),
then there must be something I can build myself to do the same thing.
With an electric bill exceeding $200 every month (over $300 during the
winter), I'm willing to consider just about anything!

I looked into solar panels, but from what I read online this can cost
in excess of $10,000. Even that isn't unreasonable; after 4 years, it
has paid for itself. But what other options are there that I'm not
considering?

- Jason