Easy way to safely access backup power for home and free (for some PG&E customers)

[dmd3home]

What year Lightning and what trim? I have a '22 Lariat SR and had the same issue as the OP that required the adapter.

23 pro SR

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[mr.Magoo]

This is not new with DTE. And, DTE charges an installation fee plus a monthly fee. PG&E is FREE for their customers. $22.99 x 12 = $275.88 plus the installation fee of $49.99.

Didn't know that it was "old", they just sent out information about it so I thought it was new.

Never suggested it was free, only that they used the same (similar in case we're splitting hairs) device as PG&E.

$23 / month is pretty reasonable when a transfer switch install would probably cost you $ 1,500+ and a $500+ generator ontop of that, plus gas... not to mention the cost of installing a natural gas generator.

Options are good, so to each their own, what makes sense for you, or me, might not make sense for everyone else.

In the past 7 years we've had two outages that lasted any length of time, one was like two days and the other 10 hours, so running it off the truck would work just fine. For me, considering the limited use (failures) so far, I would never be able to justify a natural gas generator.

 

[RickLightning]

The installation is simple - they pull the meter, install the device, then put the meter back on. Maybe 10 minutes if they go slow.

It can be purchased for $999 from the company (but you can't install it in DTE's territory), so DTE is covering the cost in 3.6 years, with no option to buy it.

PG&E sees the benefit in consumers shouldering the load in times of outages, so they provide it for free. DTE always wants a lot of profit.

 

[Vulnox]

Didn't know that it was "old", they just sent out information about it so I thought it was new.

Never suggested it was free, only that they used the same (similar in case we're splitting hairs) device as PG&E.

$23 / month is pretty reasonable when a transfer switch install would probably cost you $ 1,500+ and a $500+ generator ontop of that, plus gas... not to mention the cost of installing a natural gas generator.

Options are good, so to each their own, what makes sense for you, or me, might not make sense for everyone else.

In the past 7 years we've had two outages that lasted any length of time, one was like two days and the other 10 hours, so running it off the truck would work just fine. For me, considering the limited use (failures) so far, I would never be able to justify a natural gas generator.

I don't think he was saying anyone was wrong if they felt it was their best option, but some of your math is a little extreme. We have an 11k watt open frame generator that can run on gas, propane, or natural gas and it was about $800. We just had our electrician install an inlet to a breaker in our main panel and an interlock. Total cost was under $1000 and the generator can be used by friends and family, which it has been a number of times, which makes it versatile even beyond our own home usage.

You could also still bypass DTE and have an electrician install a manual transfer switch like others have done that bypasses the ground and that too should be under $1000 for transfer switch and install.

So if you plan to be in your house for at least four years, either of those routes are probably better and more flexible than DTEs option. If you are in your house for another 7-10 years, or more, then you're paying DTE forever for something that may get used a handful of times in that time.

As you said, to each their own, but I felt your cost estimates were a bit high. You could come in under $1000 and still use your Lightning and also still have a transfer switch and all that.

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