Backup Power in
Home battery backup and standby generators for Shrewsbury, from the town center to the newer subdivisions with underground service.
Get a Savant QuoteShrewsbury's own utility, SELCO, says its customers averaged 2.76 minutes of outage in 2022, not counting major events, against a national average of 143.1 minutes. In Shrewsbury the case for backup is less about everyday reliability and more about the major events that number leaves out.
Boston Backup Power is a division of Boston Automations in Norwood. We design and install RoseWater Energy systems, Savant Power and Generac and Kohler standby generators, and licensed electricians and gas fitters make the connections.
Authorized RoseWater Energy Dealer. Authorized Savant dealer. Authorized Generac and Kohler partner. Updated .
Storms and outages in Shrewsbury
The December 2008 ice storm hit the higher ground of north central Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire hardest. The National Weather Service also noted that many northeast-facing slopes in the county saw far more icing than the land around them, and on the morning of December 12, crews were clearing Grafton Street in Shrewsbury.
Smaller events still happen. On July 28, 2020, downed trees and a tree fire cut power to several streets, including North Quinsigamond and Fifth Avenue and Oak Street near Robin Road, until a SELCO crew restored service. The town's hazard plan calls for a more systematic tree trimming program with the utility.
Who supplies the power
Shrewsbury Electric and Cable Operations, set up by Town Meeting in 1908, supplies the town's electricity, internet and phone service. It calls itself one of only 41 municipal light plants in Massachusetts. A battery and solar interconnection goes to SELCO.
Which system fits a Shrewsbury home?
We install all three, so we can recommend the one that suits the house and the budget.
RoseWater Energy
SELCO's power is steady most of the year, and a RoseWater HUB keeps it that way at the panel, conditioning every circuit it serves and carrying the house when a major event does hit.
Whole-home battery backup with zero transfer time and power conditioning, for large homes where nothing can blink. Most projects run $125,000 to $1,000,000.
Standby generator
A standby generator covers a week-long event like 2008 on its own or behind a battery, which is the scenario the reliability numbers do not include.
A Generac or Kohler standby generator on natural gas or propane that starts on its own when the power goes out. Most installs run $7,500 to $20,000.
Where the equipment goes in Shrewsbury
More than 70 percent of Shrewsbury's occupied homes are single-family houses, and only 14.3 percent were built before 1940, so most have a modern panel and a garage or basement for a Savant Power Storage cabinet or a RoseWater HUB.
The town requires underground utilities in new subdivisions, which helps with storms. A house fed underground still loses power when the line or substation upstream fails.
How to start
For a RoseWater system, start with the Power Plan. For Savant Power, use the Savant quote form. For a standby generator, use the generator quote form. If you are not sure which one fits, use the contact form or call (781) 333-8003 and we will talk it through. We reply within one business day.
Questions about backup power in Shrewsbury
SELCO is so reliable. Why would we need backup?
SELCO is so reliable. Why would we need backup?
SELCO's numbers exclude major events, and major events are what backup is for. A battery or generator covers the ice storm, and a battery also smooths out the short blips that still reach sensitive equipment.
Who approves a solar and battery hookup in Shrewsbury?
Who approves a solar and battery hookup in Shrewsbury?
SELCO, since it is the town's utility. We handle the paperwork with SELCO and your solar installer.
Our house is in a newer subdivision with underground wires. Does that change anything?
Our house is in a newer subdivision with underground wires. Does that change anything?
Underground service protects your street from falling trees. It does not protect you from failures upstream, so a backup system still makes sense, often a smaller one.
Ready to plan backup power in Shrewsbury?
Tell us about the house and what has to stay on. We visit, size the system and give you a written proposal. We reply within one business day.