We depend on it to stay connected to the world via television, radio, and computer. Especially in a disaster situation, it is more important than ever to stay as connected as possible to television and/or radio news. Even if cable and Internet services go out, local stations will attempt to hobble along, and they can be your lifeline to important FEMA or Red Cross announcements--but how can you access them without electricity?

Electricity is regulating our household environments right now, controlling the heat and air conditioning, temperature, humidity, and quality of air; it flows through insulated control or load circuits to do so. Even if your furnace is fueled with gas, most will not function without electricity.

Electricity preserves our food with refrigeration. How would we store our perishables in a healthful way without our refrigerators and freezers? Of course, you know when electricity goes down, you should keep the freezer door shut; the cold will usually hold safely for up to forty-eight hours. The less frozen food in it, the shorter will be the time it will stay cold. If your emergency is localized and you are able to locate bagged ice, you can extend the time the food stays frozen. However, unrefrigerated food is considered unsafe after a mere four to six hours. After the temperature rises above 40°F, perishable food perishes. You have to throw it out. Can you picture yourself in your hot or cold house throwing out your bacteria-laden food by candlelight? I've done this before. It's not fun.

How would we cook without electric stoves, microwave ovens, and all the little electrical cooking gadgets we use daily, like toasters? If you cook with a gas stove, you can use matches to light the top burners, but most gas ovens require electricity to operate the oven-burner-valve igniter.

Electricity lights our world, turns night into day at the flick of a switch. Of course, there are battery operated lighting fixtures, candles, and gas lanterns; they’re not quite as convenient as the AC type.

Computer battery-backup units are available, but what will you do when your computer's battery backup has used up its charge?

If disaster hits, what will you do without the perks and essential services of electrical appliances? How can you avoid “powerless stress syndrome”?

An electrical generator system like pictured on this page will preserve your food, your comfort, your lifestyle, and your peace of mind.

 * It may be necessary to manually adjust (or change) the fuel pressure regulator before changing fuels.