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prices checked Nov 2026

Six options, five filters. Prices checked Nov 2026.

Which backup fits your house?

Generators, power stations, home batteries and your EV, side by side on the same specs. Tick what your house needs, and the options that can’t do it fade out.

What does your house need?
of 6 fit · see them

Not sure? Start from your house

Dark storm clouds over beach houses and dunes

52.6 hours without power for the average South Carolina customer in 2024, the year of Helene.

Plan for your state’s bad year, not its average. Photo: storm over the dunes, Nags Head, North Carolina.

Six options, sorted by lowest price

The orange block on each card is its power on the same scale, from 1 to 30 kW.

  1. Example of an open-frame portable generator on wheels

    Portable generator

    Example: Generac GP7500E dual fuel

    7,500 W running, 9,400 W starting

    240V
    120/240V
    Runs
    About 10 h on a 7.5-gal tank at half load
    Fuel
    Gasoline or propane
    Hookup
    Inlet plus interlock or transfer switch
    Upkeep
    Oil changes; refuel every 10 hours or so
    More specs
    Fuel
    Gasoline or propane
    Hookup
    Inlet plus interlock or transfer switch
    Upkeep
    Oil changes; refuel every 10 hours or so

    $999–1,199

    Rough price · Nov 2026 · retail listings. Hookup extra

    Doesn’t match your filters

  2. Example of an inverter generator

    Inverter generator

    Example: Honda EU2200i

    1,800 W running, 2,200 W max

    240V
    120V only
    Runs
    8.1 h at 1/4 load on 0.95 gal
    Fuel
    Gasoline
    Hookup
    Extension cords
    Upkeep
    Oil changes, fresh or stabilized fuel
    More specs
    Fuel
    Gasoline
    Hookup
    Extension cords
    Upkeep
    Oil changes, fresh or stabilized fuel

    $1,099–1,199

    Rough price · 2026 · dealer listings

    Doesn’t match your filters

  3. Example of a portable power station

    Power station

    Example: Anker SOLIX F3800, EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3

    4,000 to 6,000 W

    240V
    F3800 does 120/240V; many units are 120V only
    Runs
    3.8 to 4.1 kWh per charge
    Fuel
    Wall outlet or solar panels
    Hookup
    Cords; a panel connection depends on the model
    Upkeep
    Almost none
    More specs
    Fuel
    Wall outlet or solar panels
    Hookup
    Cords; a panel connection depends on the model
    Upkeep
    Almost none

    $2,199–3,999

    Rough price · 2026 · retail and comparison sites

    Doesn’t match your filters

  4. Example of a home standby generator

    Standby generator

    Example: Generac Guardian 10 to 26 kW

    10 to 26 kW; whole house at 20 to 22 kW

    240V
    240V
    Runs
    As long as the gas flows
    Fuel
    Natural gas or propane
    Hookup
    Automatic transfer switch; permit, pad, gas line
    Upkeep
    Yearly service, $150 to $600 (rough)
    More specs
    Fuel
    Natural gas or propane
    Hookup
    Automatic transfer switch; permit, pad, gas line
    Upkeep
    Yearly service, $150 to $600 (rough)

    $5,000–25,000

    Rough price, installed · 2025–2026 · installer and comparison sites. Typical $10,000–15,000

    Doesn’t match your filters

  5. Example of a wall-mounted home EV charger

    Your EV

    Example: Silverado EV with GM Energy kit; Tesla Model 3/Y with Powerwall 3

    About 9.6 to 12.8 kW

    240V
    Depends on car and equipment
    Runs
    Two to three days for a 30 kWh-a-day home (Tesla)
    Fuel
    The car's battery
    Hookup
    Bidirectional charger, certified installer
    Upkeep
    Almost none
    More specs
    Fuel
    The car's battery
    Hookup
    Bidirectional charger, certified installer
    Upkeep
    Almost none

    $7,299 + install

    Older price · Apr 2024 · GM Energy bundle, as reported. Check before you buy

    Doesn’t match your filters

  6. Example of a home battery

    Home battery

    Example: Tesla Powerwall 3

    11.5 kW continuous; starts motors up to 185 A

    240V
    240V
    Runs
    13.5 kWh per unit
    Fuel
    Grid or solar
    Hookup
    Wired to your panel by an installer
    Upkeep
    Almost none
    More specs
    Fuel
    Grid or solar
    Hookup
    Wired to your panel by an installer
    Upkeep
    Almost none

    $12,000–16,000

    Rough price, installed, per unit · 2026 · installer estimates

    Doesn’t match your filters

  7. What the cards can’t show

    • 53 dB Honda rates the EU2200i at a quarter load. Batteries and power stations have no engine at all.
    • 20 ft Every portable generator runs outside, at least 20 feet from windows and doors.
    • 185 A The Powerwall 3’s motor start: about 44,000 watts for one second, enough for most well pumps.
    All six on one table First work out your watts

Nothing ticks every box. Untick one, or read which option fits which household.

Not sure what to tick? Start from your house.

  1. City condo, no yard

    No generator on a balcony. A power station: the essentials use roughly 1.9 kWh a day, so a 3.8 kWh unit covers a day and a half to two days.

    What fits a condo

  2. Suburban, natural gas line

    A standby on natural gas starts by itself. The budget route: a 7,500-watt dual-fuel portable on an inlet and interlock.

    What fits a house on gas

  3. Rural, on a well

    The pump decides. A 1/2 hp pump needs 1,500 to 2,000 watts to start, and many run on 240 volts.

    What fits a house on a well

  4. EV in the driveway

    With vehicle-to-home and the right hardware, a Tesla Model 3 or Y covers more than two days for a home using 30 kWh a day.

    What an EV can run

How much power does your house need?

Add the running watts of what has to stay on, then add the one biggest start. Four households from our sizing guide, against what each option delivers.

Your house needs running watts to the peak at start

  • Essentials, gas heat, city water2,270 W running, peak 3,070 W
    1
  • Same, plus a microwave3,470 W running, peak 4,270 W
    2
  • Rural, 1 hp well pump3,870 W running, peak 5,870 W
    3
  • Whole house, about 2,000 sq ft12,320 W running, peak about 14,500 to 15,500 W with an AC soft starter
    4

The options deliver running to maximum or starting watts

  • Inverter generator1,800 W running, 2,200 W max
  • Power station4,000 to 6,000 W
  • Portable generator7,500 W running, 9,400 W starting
  • Your EVAbout 9.6 to 12.8 kW
  • Standby generator10 to 26 kW; whole house at 20 to 22 kW
  • Home battery11.5 kW continuous; starts motors up to 185 A

Dashed lines are the four peaks. Starting watts are the trap: a motor can briefly draw 3 to 6 times its running watts, and many well pumps and central air units need 240 volts.

Work out your own number

Three worked examples, the appliance table we use, and how to turn your AC’s LRA into watts.

A shelf cloud rolling over a street of two-storey houses

A bad year, state by state

Hours without power for the average customer, in each state’s worst year from 2022 to 2025. Orange is a day or more.

  1. South Carolina (Helene)52.6 h
  2. Maine31.1 h
  3. Texas (Beryl)26.9 h
  4. North Carolina25.3 h
  5. Florida24.8 h
  6. Georgia20.1 h
  7. Michigan18.8 h
  8. Massachusetts4.4 h
  9. Arizona2.3 h

EIA Electric Power Annual, table 11.4, all events. The U.S. average was about 11 hours in 2024 and 4.4 in 2025.

What three days of fuel cost

72 hours of running, at national average prices. The purchase price matters far more.

  1. Honda EU2200i · gasoline, about 450 W$35
  2. Generac 10 kW Guardian · propane, about 5 kW$203
  3. Generac GP7500E · gasoline, half load$224
  4. Generac 22 kW Guardian · natural gas, half load$225
  5. Generac 22 kW Guardian · propane, half load$514
  6. Powerwall 3 · no fuel, one recharge from the grid afterwards$2.45–2.70

Price · week of Nov 2, 2026 · EIA: gasoline $4.153 a gallon, propane $2.820 a gallon. Fuel use from the manufacturers.

54 gallons of gasoline for three days at half load is more than most people can safely store. A portable on gasoline is really a plan for a day or two.

How we did the math

Guides by topic

2 guides so far, each with a source and a month on every price.

Choose your backup

Generator, power station, home battery or your EV: which fits your outages, your house and your budget.

Best Backup Power for Your Home During an Outage

Size it right

Running watts, starting watts and 240V loads, worked out for the things you actually need to keep on.

What Size Generator Do I Need for My House?

Fuel & runtime

How long a tank, a cylinder or a battery lasts, and which fuel makes sense.

First guide coming soon: How long will a generator run?

Hook it up

Cords, inlets, interlocks and transfer switches: what each costs and what your electrician and inspector will ask.

First guide coming soon: How to connect a generator to your house

Use it safely

Placement, carbon monoxide, storm-day routines and upkeep.

First guide coming soon: Where to put a generator, and carbon monoxide

Costs

What backup power costs to buy, install and run over ten years, with dated price ranges.

First guide coming soon: What backup power really costs over ten years