> Not sure why you’re getting downvoted

I think it's because they're misunderstanding the point /u/Accurate-Historian-7 is making. Historian is saying that having a backup generator will protect you when the power goes out. Beezle is arguing against a generator as a solution to energy costs going up, which no one ever claimed them to be.

You have a good point as well - if you're in an apartment, you might not have a place to hook up and run your backup generator if the power goes out. Another way people in apartments are worse off. At least it won't be you paying for the work when a pipe bursts in your landlord's building, but that will be small consolation when you get kicked out for the construction and have to figure out somewhere else to live. That's a shitty situation all around, caused by the landlord's failure to plan ahead.

FWIW, if you have gas heat and hot water, they only need a tiny bit of power to run zone valves, circulators, and thermostats, so you could run them from your car or one of those lithium ion "generators" like the brand Jackery popularized.

If you have a balcony or somewhere protected outside, a cheap generator like this one would be enough to keep your fridge cold and your house warm, assuming you have the access and know-how to change around wiring.

Excellent points. His comment about generators also puts the burden on individual people to remedy their own energy-supply / cost crises, instead of addressing the structural causes of those crises. Rhode Island, Texas, and the U.S. as a whole could have already done more and should be doing more now to diversify their energy sources, by generating more within each state from renewable sources that are much less vulnerable to supply disruptions / cost rises. Instead, people are forced to rely on fossil fuels from external sources and are expected to buy generators to keep their lights on and food from spoiling when those volatile energy supplies are disrupted and costs soar ...