What's Behind the Biggest Surge in Generator Sales Brisbane has Ever Seen?

As the weather changes and Brisbane's residents prepare for another year of tumultuous weather conditions, it is the demand for back-up power that's driving the biggest surge in Portable Generators Sales Brisbane has ever seen.

Brisbane residents are no strangers to tropical weather conditions. In fact, Brisbane's climate is described as sub-tropical in nature. Over recent years, this has resulted in many tropical storms and several major flooding events.

The calendars had barely switched over to 2014 before a storm hit Brisbane and Queensland's southeast. The storms packed a punch causing localised flooding in a number of inner Brisbane suburbs and left many pedestrians literally caught out in the rain. More than 40 millimeters of rain was recorded in 10 minutes in some areas.

The increased frequency and extremity of these weather events has increased demand for emergency backup generators significantly. In the weeks and months after storms in January 2013, online retailers and high-street stores alike experienced a surge in generator sales. They could hardly replenish their stock levels before people would empty the shelves again.

As a result, many generator retailers have ramped up their stock to meet the anticipated demands of generator sales Brisbane will no doubt experience in the future. For those in Brisbane who experienced the storms of the past few years, the possibility of being without power for several days or weeks just isn't worth it. Here's one of the more popular portable backup generator models in demand from Brisbane residents:

This phenomenon of generator sales in Brisbane mirrors that caused by Hurricane Sandy in the United States. More than a week after Sandy cut power to 8.5 million customers in 11 states, almost one million were still without power.

Immediately before and after Sandy's onslaught, generator manufacturers experienced an unprecedented growth in sales of portable petrol-powered generators. It was reported that Caterpillar dealers and Honda Motor Co. had to shift inventory to meet demand as blackouts lingered for families and business owners.

Manufacturers believe that power outages following Sandy has transformed homeowners' views on generators as a necessity rather than a luxury item. There is more awareness of the need for standby power, both on the residential and industrial side. Some manufacturers even hired more temporary and permanent workers for two months following the storm to boost production.

In Brisbane and the United States alike, the onslaught of weather events has brought to light quite how unstable the power grid is. With generators starting at only a few hundred dollars in price, residents realise their worth in keeping them safe and comfortable - just in case.

With the increase in generator sales Brisbane electricity companies and government bodies are also putting out warnings on the safest ways to use a generator. The Queensland Government website advises generator users: "Do not connect your generator to your house using a power point on a power circuit or any other connection point. This can cause dangerous 'back-feeding"; and, "Ensure all leads used to connect your generator are in good working order."

Following the accidental death of a man overcome by fumes from a power generator in the wake of Cyclone Yasi in 2011, perhaps one of the most important pieces of advice is to "Run the generator outdoors or in a well-ventilated area."

However, there's no doubt that, when used as per the manufacturers' instruction, generators are providing Brisbane households and businesses with the peace of mind they need.

For more helpful information on portable generators see the Learning Centre at My Generator.

DISCLAIMER* Please note, this advice is general in nature and we strongly recommend consulting the product manual and where relevant, a professional installer.