Lights Back On

For Michigan, Indiana & Midwest homeowners

You don’t need a $20,000 generator to keep your family warm.

Most gas-heat homes need 3,000–6,000 watts to stay warm, dry and connected, not 24,000. Answer seven quick questions to find out how much power your house actually needs and which setup fits. If a standby really is right for you, we’ll say so.

Start here: who’s your electric company?

Free · 2 minutes

Your wattage number and the type of setup that fits your house. No email, no card.

Full plan · $9.99 one-time

Exact generator and parts to buy, what it should cost, who to call and what to say, plus a 10-minute quick-start PDF.

30-day money-back · Not affiliated with DTE

Two hours of generator research, done before you finish your coffee.

  • Your number Free

    The watts your house needs, running and starting.

  • Your setup Free

    DTE’s meter plug, an interlock, a battery, or a standby when it’s truly right.

  • Who to call, what to say

    The DTE sign-up steps or a word-for-word electrician script, with fair Metro Detroit prices.

  • One thing to buy

    The generator spec that fits your number, so you can skip the top-ten lists.

  • The 10-year math

    Your setup against the other four, first year and ten years.

  • Your panel-door card

    The hookup steps in your own start order, taped where you’ll need them in the dark.

Who this is for

  • You were just quoted $15,000–$20,000 for a whole-home standby and want a second opinion before you sign.
  • You sat through the last outage in the dark and promised yourself “never again,” but don’t know where to start.
  • You have a basement sump, a chest freezer, someone working from home, or someone who relies on medical equipment.
  • You own a portable generator and want to connect it the safe, legal way instead of running cords through a window.

Not for you if you want to wire it yourself. Anything connected to your panel should be installed by a licensed electrician, and meter work is done by the utility.

What you’ll know in 10 minutes

  1. 1How many watts your house really needs, running and starting.
  2. 2Which of five setups fits: a utility meter plug, an inlet & interlock, a battery, a hybrid, or a standby.
  3. 3What it should cost, first year and over ten years, so you can spot a padded quote.
  4. 4Who to call and the exact words to say.
  5. 5The one generator spec to buy, and what to skip.

Steps 1–2 are free. Unlock the rest for $9.99, 30-day money-back.

Then someone quotes you $17,800.

A friendly salesperson recommends a 24 kW whole-home standby. It’s a good product. What they often don’t walk you through: a typical gas-heat home needs 3,000 to 6,000 watts to stay warm, dry and connected, not 24,000. A licensed electrician can install a safe, inspected generator hookup for about $800–$1,500. DTE will even install a generator plug on your meter in under 30 minutes.

We’re not anti-generator. You’ll almost certainly buy a generator, a battery, or both. We help you buy the right one.

24 kW whole-home standby 24,000 W
Typical gas-heat home 3,000–6,000 W

$9.99 against what one outage, or one wrong quote, costs.

$15,000–$20,000

A typical whole-home standby quote. Most gas-heat homes need a fraction of that power.

$800–$1,500

A licensed, inspected generator hookup in Metro Detroit. The difference is what your plan helps you keep.

$0

What DTE reimburses for spoiled food or a hotel. Its outage credit is $44 a day, once you qualify.

50–55°F

Indoor temperature where pipes start to be at risk when the furnace is off in a winter outage.

If your plan keeps one freezer of food from spoiling, it paid for itself many times over. If it stops you from buying an $18,000 system you didn’t need, that’s about $15,000 back.

Figures from the Lights Back On guide: DTE’s posted terms, MPSC outage-credit order (Sept. 2026), Metro Detroit price estimates as of November 2026.

Does your utility offer this?

DTE will install a GenerLink plug at your meter, so you can connect a portable generator with no electrician and no permit for the hookup. Very few utilities do this. The ones that do are mostly co-ops and city-owned utilities.

30-second check: search your utility’s website for “GenerLink.” Nothing there? Your plan and the guide cover the inlet-and-interlock or transfer-switch path, usually about $800–$1,500 installed, and you own it.

No public program found at Consumers Energy, FirstEnergy, AEP Ohio, ComEd, Duke, Xcel and similar large utilities, as of Nov 2026.

Utilities that install a GenerLink generator plug at the meter, as of November 2026
UtilityPrice on the utility’s site
DTE Energy (Surge Protection Plus)Metro Detroit, MI$99.99 (30A, 7,200 W) or $249.99 (40A, 9,600 W) install + $22.99/mo. DTE tech installs; no electrician. 200A service or less.
AES OhioDayton, OH$100 install; you buy the device (about $999)
Lake Region ElectricEastern OK$50 install + $25/mo
Southern Public Power DistrictNebraska$7.75/mo
Columbia River PUDOregon$11/mo
Community ElectricVirginia$12.75–$13.75/mo
Steuben Rural Electric · Central ElectricWestern NY · Western PAAbout $728–$986 to buy, utility-installed
First ElectricArkansasUtility-installed; ask the co-op for pricing
SECO Energy · LCEC · Clay Electric · Gainesville GRUFloridaAbout $1,035–$1,200 to buy, utility-installed
Baldwin EMCAlabama Gulf CoastAbout $835–$940 to buy, utility-installed

As of Nov 2026, from each utility’s own page. Programs, prices and eligibility change; confirm with your utility. Not affiliated with any utility.

Everything you get

One decision you’ll live with for 10 years. $9.99 to get it right.

Your number and your setup Free

Running and starting watts for your house, and which of the five setups fits.

Your full personalized plan

Who to call and the word-for-word script, the one generator spec to buy, your load list and start order, the 10-year math against the other four setups, and a printable panel-door card.

The 10-minute Quick-Start Guide (PDF)

The five setups side by side, a wattage worksheet, three real homes worked out, a decision flowchart, how to hire an electrician with fair Metro Detroit prices, the fair-standby-quote checklist and red flags, an outage-day checklist, the winter plan for heat and pipes, and a medical-equipment planning sheet.

Utility meter-plug appendix

Which U.S. utilities install a generator plug at the meter, and what they charge, as of Nov 2026.

Or unlock now · $9.99

30-day money-back guarantee · One-time $9.99, no subscription · Secure checkout through Gumroad. Not happy? Email us within 30 days for a full refund.

Two rules that save lives

Never run a generator in a garage, porch or near a window. Keep it at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust pointed away. Carbon monoxide kills in minutes.

Never backfeed through a dryer outlet. A ‘double-male’ cord can electrocute a lineman down the street. Your plan uses only safe, legal ways to connect.

The no-questions guarantee

Build your plan. If it doesn’t help you make a clearer, more confident decision, email us within 30 days and we’ll refund every penny of your $9.99.

FAQ

Is this just a pitch to sell me a generator?

No. We’ll show you when a $1,200 setup is enough and when a standby is genuinely worth it. Some product links in your plan are affiliate links, which we disclose. We recommend the cheaper option whenever it does the same job.

What do I get for $9.99?

Your number and your setup are free. The paid plan adds who to call and what to say, the generator spec to buy, your load list and start order, the 10-year math, and a panel-door card you can print. You also get the 10-minute Quick-Start Guide (PDF). It’s a one-time payment, not a subscription.

I’m not handy. Is this for me?

Yes. You don’t wire anything. Your plan tells you what you need and gives you the exact words to use with a licensed electrician or DTE.

What’s the DTE meter plug?

A device called GenerLink that DTE installs at your electric meter, sold as its Surge Protection Plus plan. You plug a portable generator into it during an outage. It’s $99.99 or $249.99 to install and $22.99 a month. Your plan covers when it fits and when owning your own hookup is cheaper.

What if someone in my home uses medical equipment?

Tell the builder. The key is closing the gap with a battery, and knowing when automatic backup is truly worth it. Your plan is built around that.

Does this work outside DTE?

Yes. Everything applies except the DTE meter plug, so your plan uses an electrician-installed hookup instead. Prices are Metro Detroit estimates. A few other utilities install a similar plug at the meter (search your utility’s site for “GenerLink”; see the list above), and the guide includes an appendix of them as of Nov 2026.

Is this electrical advice?

No. It’s independent education. Anything connected to your home’s wiring should be installed by a licensed electrician with a permit, and meter work is done by the utility.

How do I get it?

Right after checkout you’ll get a link by email. Open it on the phone or computer you used here and your full plan appears. It’s designed to print. The Quick-Start Guide PDF comes in the same email.

What if it doesn’t help?

Email hello@lightsbackon.com within 30 days and we’ll refund the full $9.99. No forms, no questions.

Next storm, be the house with the lights on.

Get your number and setup free in 2 minutes. Unlock your full plan for $9.99.

30-day money-back guarantee · Not affiliated with DTE