Inland, but not out of the storm's path
Wilson sits far enough from the coast that people sometimes assume hurricanes are someone else's problem. Floyd in 1999 and Matthew in 2016 both proved otherwise: the rain from a slow-moving storm falls just as hard inland, creeks like Contentnea and Toisnot rise for days afterward, and the wind brings down trees and lines. Add summer thunderstorms and the occasional winter ice storm, and outages here are a regular part of life.
A standby generator starts on its own seconds after the power drops and keeps the house running until the lines are back up, whether that takes an afternoon or a week.
Wilson Energy: city power and city gas
Wilson is one of the few places in North Carolina where the city runs both the electric and the natural gas systems. Wilson Energy is the fourth-largest city-owned electric system in the state, serving more than 36,000 homes and businesses in Wilson, Wilson County and parts of six nearby counties, and its gas system serves more than 13,000 customers.
For a generator, that means:
- Natural gas is often already at the house inside Wilson. The generator can run on it with no tank to refill; some homes need a larger meter, which the installer arranges.
- Propane out in the county where gas lines don't reach. A properly sized tank can run a generator for days.
- The transfer switch works with any provider. Whether you're on Wilson Energy, Duke Energy Progress or a co-op, the automatic transfer switch isolates your house so the generator never feeds power back onto lines crews are repairing.
See propane and natural gas generators for run times and tank sizes.
What Wilson homeowners want powered
- Central air or heat pumps through summer outages
- Refrigerators and chest freezers
- Well pumps on farms and rural lots outside the city water system
- Shop and barn power on farm properties
- Oxygen concentrators and other medical equipment
- Home offices and internet
Cover the whole house or a set of essential circuits; the installer runs a load calculation and recommends a size. More on whole house generators, Generac installation and what a whole house generator costs. For farms and businesses, see commercial generators.
Communities we serve around Wilson
Wilson, Elm City, Stantonsburg, Black Creek, Lucama, Sims, Saratoga and Kenly, along I-95, US 264, US 301 and NC 42. Rocky Mount has its own page. We also handle generator repair and maintenance and transfer switches for portable generators here.
Common questions
Can my generator run on Wilson Energy natural gas?
Usually, if gas service already reaches your house. Some homes need a meter upgrade to supply a generator, which the installer coordinates with the gas utility.
Who issues the generator permit in Wilson?
Inside the city, the City of Wilson's inspections office handles permits; in the rest of the county, Wilson County Inspections does. The installer pulls the electrical permit and any gas permit and schedules the inspections.
Does a generator work with Wilson Energy electric service?
Yes. The transfer switch connects the same way regardless of provider and keeps the generator from sending power back onto the city's lines.