Power outages are a fact of life in the Santa Cruz Mountains and across the wider county, whether they come from a winter storm rolling through the San Lorenzo Valley or a Public Safety Power Shutoff during fire season. When the grid goes down, an unprotected home loses heat, refrigeration, water from well pumps, and any medical equipment that depends on electricity. KM Electric installs standby generators throughout Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz County, giving homeowners automatic backup power that switches on within seconds of an outage.
KM Electric is a licensed electrical contractor based in Scotts Valley, California, and a Generac-certified installer serving homeowners across Santa Cruz County. Founded by licensed journeyman electrician Keaton Mayers, the company specializes in standby generator installation, sizing and installing permanently mounted generators that run on natural gas or propane and start automatically when the power fails. Service reaches Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Aptos, Soquel, Felton, and the surrounding communities, and every standby generator installation carries a 20-year workmanship warranty.
A home today runs on electricity in ways it did not a generation ago. Heat pumps, well pumps, internet-dependent work, refrigerated food and medication, and electric vehicle charging all stop the moment the grid does. In the mountain communities around Felton, Ben Lomond, and Boulder Creek, outages from winter storms can stretch for days, and Public Safety Power Shutoffs add planned outages on top of the unplanned ones. A portable generator and a tangle of extension cords is a stopgap at best, and it leaves the most important systems in the house unpowered.
The gap comes down to how most homes connect to the grid. A house draws all of its power through a single utility feed, so when that feed drops, everything tied to it goes dark at once with no automatic backup ready to take over. Running a portable unit means hauling it out, fueling it in the weather, and powering only a few devices through cords, which does nothing for hardwired systems like furnaces, well pumps, and the main lighting. The home has no safe, permanent way to transfer its load to a backup source when the utility fails.
A standby generator solves that by becoming a permanent part of the home's electrical system. We start with a load calculation to size the unit to what you want to keep running, then set the generator on a level pad, connect it to a natural gas or propane supply, and wire it to an automatic transfer switch at the panel. The transfer switch constantly monitors utility power, and when it detects an outage it isolates the home from the grid and starts the generator within seconds. We coordinate the gas hookup and the utility requirements, pull the permit, and schedule the inspection so the entire system is code-compliant and safe for line workers.
After installation, an outage becomes a brief flicker rather than an ordeal. The generator starts on its own, your heat, refrigeration, well pump, and lights stay on, and the system shuts down automatically when utility power returns. A weekly self-test keeps the unit ready, and you gain the assurance that the next storm or shutoff will not leave your household in the dark.
A permanently installed standby generator changes how your home weathers an outage, from the first second the grid drops.
An automatic transfer switch senses the outage and starts the generator within seconds, with no cords to run or units to fuel in a storm. The transition happens whether you are home or away.
Sized correctly, a standby generator can power hardwired essentials a portable unit never reaches, including the furnace, well pump, refrigerator, and lighting throughout the house.
The automatic transfer switch isolates your home from the grid while the generator runs, which prevents dangerous backfeed onto utility lines and protects the crews working to restore power.
From winter storms in the San Lorenzo Valley to Public Safety Power Shutoffs during fire season, a standby unit stays primed. A weekly self-test confirms it will run when it is needed.
Every standby generator installation we complete carries a 20-year workmanship warranty, and as a Generac-certified installer we stand behind both the equipment and the work.
Standby generator installation is one part of how KM Electric keeps the power on for Santa Cruz County homes. If your situation calls for a different approach, these related services may fit better.
Homeowners who already own a generator, or plan to run a portable one, need a safe way to tie it into the house. Generator transfer switch installation supplies the code-required link between a generator and the home's circuits.
For a budget-minded approach to a portable generator, generator interlock kit installation powers selected circuits through the existing panel while mechanically blocking any backfeed to the grid.
Generator services takes in the full spread of backup power, from simple portable hookups to fully automatic standby systems, with the right setup chosen for each home.
A standby generator ties together electrical work, gas connections, and utility requirements, so the installer's skill carries real weight.
KM Electric is certified by Generac to install its standby systems, which means the equipment goes in to the manufacturer's standard and your warranty stays intact. That credential is not one every local electrician holds.
Keaton Mayers brings union-level training to every load calculation, so the generator is matched to what you actually want to power. You avoid both an undersized unit that cannot keep up and an oversized one you overpay for.
We set the generator properly, wire the transfer switch to code, and coordinate the gas and utility requirements. The finished system is neat, labeled, and ready to pass inspection.
We install backup power in the mountain and coastal communities that lose grid power most, from Boulder Creek to Aptos. That local experience informs how we plan each system.
We help you decide what is worth backing up rather than overselling capacity, and customers describe that approach in our Yelp and Google reviews.
It depends on what you want to keep running. Some homeowners back up only essentials like the furnace, refrigerator, and well pump, while others power the whole house. We perform a load calculation and recommend a size that fits your priorities, whether you are in Scotts Valley or up in the San Lorenzo Valley.
Both are options. Homes with a natural gas line often connect directly to it, while properties without gas service, common in the mountain communities, typically run on a propane tank. We help you choose based on what your property already has.
The automatic transfer switch detects the loss of utility power and starts the generator within seconds, so the interruption is brief. When utility power returns, the system switches back and shuts the generator down on its own.
Yes. Standby generator installation requires a permit and inspection, and the gas connection has its own requirements. We handle the permitting and coordinate the inspections so the entire system is documented and compliant.
Standby units run a weekly self-test on their own and benefit from periodic service to stay reliable. We can walk you through the maintenance the manufacturer recommends so the unit is ready when an outage hits.
If outages keep leaving your home in the dark, a standby generator puts that worry to rest. KM Electric offers virtual estimates for standby generator installation across Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz County, with financing available to help with the investment. Call 831-566-2838 or schedule a consultation to size the right system for your home.
Business Name: KM Electric
Address: 5042 Scotts Valley Unit F, Scotts Valley, CA 95066
Phone: 831-566-2838
Business Hours:
Mon - Fri: 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Sat-Sun: Closed
Financing Available
20-year Workmanship Warranty