Generator Installation in New Gloucester, Maine

New Gloucester's power reaches most homes over overhead lines along wooded roads, and wind and ice on those trees are the usual cause of outages. The October 2017 windstorm caused more than 400,000 outages across Maine, surpassing the 1998 ice storm, and the March 2024 ice storm knocked out about 200,000 Central Maine Power customers. Rural lines serving scattered homes, farms and back roads are often among the last restored after a big event, which is why a plan for several days without utility power makes sense here rather than a plan for a few hours.

The New Gloucester Water District serves part of the town, but homes outside its mains depend on a well pump, so an outage cuts off water as well as heat. Many basements also rely on sump pumps during spring melt. A standby generator with an automatic transfer switch starts within moments of an outage and runs the well, oil burner controls, refrigerator and sump without anyone stepping outside. Because oil heats about 68 percent of homes, the heating load on a generator is often small until the house converts to heat pumps, and sizing should plan for that change. Standby units here usually run on propane, since utility gas reaches only about 1 percent of homes.

About 13 percent of households heat with wood, which keeps a house warm through an outage but leaves the well, freezer and lights dark. For those homes, and for anyone on a budget, a portable generator connected through an interlock kit and outdoor inlet is a practical option that powers chosen circuits without back-feeding the utility line. Farms with livestock water, milk coolers or barn fans may need a dedicated plan. Goodnow Electric installs both approaches, sizes the load and pulls the town electrical permit. Keep any portable unit outdoors and away from windows and doors, and never in a garage or barn. A standby generator also needs a level pad with clearance from windows and vents, which is usually easy to find on New Gloucester's larger lots.