Fpl Selling Home Generators
Jupiter Inlet Colony Mayor John Zuccarelli joked last year that it might be cheaper to buy all of his town’s residents a generator to cope with post-hurricane power outages instead of shell out millions to bury the overhead power lines.
“It’s something we’ve discussed,” Zuccarelli said. “I think it’s a great idea. It just depends upon the circumstances.”
If those circumstances allow, he might be able to buy the popular power machines from the very company that is in charge of providing electricity.
Florida Power & Light Co. has entered the generator-supply business, selling them to residential customers in Palm Beach, Martin, Broward and Miami-Dade counties under the name of an affiliate company, FPL Energy Services.
The generators, all of which are installed by FPL, plug directly into a home electrical system and begin running automatically when the power goes out, said Karen Vissepo, an FPL spokeswoman. FPL Energy Services began selling the generators in late May under what is called the Readi-Power program.
The company won’t say how many generators it has sold, but said it has received more than 2,000 inquiries.
“This is not for everyone,” Vissepo said. “It all depends on the needs of the homeowner. It you have a big house, this may be the type of generator that you would want to get.”
Whether you just want to keep your freezer working or have the entire house functioning normally will determine the generator’s size and cost. The machines range from $7,000 to $25,000, based on how much power you want, whether it is powered by natural gas or propane and if there are any homeowners association fees.
“This is a very tailored program,” Vissepo said.
FPL Energy Services is not now selling the generators to businesses. The generator sales are not regulated by the state Public Service Commission, which has oversight only over electricity rates.
Some customers, such as Bob McKeague, 77, of suburban Lake Worth wondered whether the program is just another profit-making maneuver for the utility giant.
“Someone would have to go and check the brand and the model and see if it’s selling more expensive or cheaper,” he said. “They are probably selling it at a reasonable cost but charging an arm and a leg to install it.”
Between the widespread power outages of last year’s hurricane season and a current season that already has produced five named storms, generators have been swiftly rolling out of stores and into homes. They were among the hurricane-related items being sold across Florida during a 12-day tax holiday in June.
Area Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, Costco and Sears stores all reported selling out during that time.
Enough places are selling them that Vickie Finnegan, co-owner of Blast Off Equipment Inc. on Military Trail in suburban West Palm Beach, said she isn’t surprised that FPL is doing the same.
“Everybody is jumping on the bandwagon,” Finnegan said.
Bob Southard said having FPL in the generator business hurts independent appliance contractors like him. Southard makes his profits over the life of a 12-month contract, he said, but FPL can build the amounts into a customer’s monthly bill, and that can be paid over years.
“They have an unfair advantage out there over the little guys,” said Southard, 40, a Hollywood resident who added generators to his list of appliances last year.
“If you have a home and they are selling you generators, what incentive is there for them to get out and to get your power back on?” he said.
FPL’s Vissepo emphasized that the utility is committed to restoring power, irrespective of who has a generator or what company supplied it.
“This is just an option that is there for some people,” she said.
kristi_swartz@pbpost.com