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Small firms and families turn to generators over fear of blackouts

/ 7th September 2022 /
Christian McCashin

Small firms and families are snapping-up diesel-powered generators over fears of electricity blackouts this winter.

One firm said it has sold "a massive amount" recently amid rising energy bills and worries about power-cuts and grid failures.

Aaron Lynch, from Irish Garage Equipment, west Dublin, said: "We've sold a massive amount in recent weeks. Generator sales alone are up 250%. We could be selling 10 to 20 generators every day.

"We're noticing a big difference in sales. Last year, around October, we had a lot of people in rural Ireland contacting us for generators. This year it's happening a lot earlier, we're noticing a lot more sales of generators, mainly for home use."

The booming sales of generators are at an all-time high, Mr Lynch said. "You'd have a lot of older people who fear they'll be left in the house without power."

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The company's most popular model is an €1,800 diesel-powered generator.

With a full 15-litre tank it can power a typical house for 12 hours - depending on how many appliances are being used.

The generators being sold for domestic use are designed to kick in when and if the mains power supply goes down, but they must be installed by a qualified electrician for safety and insurance reasons.

Where in the past it was those in rural areas fearing blackouts from storms, now more people from the cities are buying.

But Gary O'Shaughnessy from DE Power Solutions in west Dublin, said: "Of late now with the potential risks of power outages, we've seen a huge increase in people who live in the city [buying generators].

"A lot of people are very worried; they're looking to buy generators, looking for standby power, insurance if the power fails, they'll have a form of protection."

generators
small firms and families
The generators being sold for domestic use are designed to kick in when and if the mains power supply goes down, but they must be installed by a qualified electrician for safety and insurance reasons.

A spokesman for Robert Kee in Donegal, which sells generators for between €600 and €1,300, said its sales "have gone up a lot".

"It's domestic mostly, people are worried about their power supply. There's a big increase in phone-call enquiries and people coming into the shop. It's people concerned about their power supply staying on."

DE Power Solutions specialises in providing generators to businesses but has now seen sales for home use grow.

"The domestic generator business didn't exist four to five years ago. But definitely over the last couple of years, there has been a massive increase."

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