On 7/17/2015 10:03 AM, TomR wrote:
I live in New Jersey but this is for a friend of mine who lives in Virginia
in the suburbs near Richmond.

She lives in a 4 BR single family home in a development which (in case it
matters) is governed by a homeowners association.

None of the homes in her
area have natural gas service, but she believes that there may be a natural
gas line that runs along the roadway behind her house. So, one possible
option may be for her to get a natural gas connection to her home from
there, and she is going to ask the natural gas utility company about that.


Due to the frequency and length of the power outages, she is considering
getting a back-up generator system installed. One option seems to be to get
a propane generator.

First step is to find out if the HOA will allow a generator.

If no, we are done.

If yes, on to the next step.

If the gas is only going to power the generator, she will pay a lot of
money if the utility will even consider it. They do things for cheap if
you use a lot of gas. I was able to get a gas line brought into our
building, but our typical gas bill runs $10,000 a month. Your friend
will use $10 a year so don't expect a warm welcome.

Propane is an option, but check that HOA again. They may have a limit on
what you can have.

Next, determine what you want to work during the outages.

Go the one of the web sites by the generator makers and they have
information to help you choose the size you need. Do some research to
find a reputable installer