A priority list for outage power: communications, light, medical devices, the fridge and router, with typical watt ranges and what to avoid.
- Power communications, light and medical needs first, then the fridge, and treat comfort items as optional.
- Check each device label because typical watt ranges vary widely.
- Avoid heating and cooking loads: they drain a battery quickly.
When the lights go out and you have a limited battery, the temptation is to plug in everything. That drains it in hours. A better approach is to decide the order in advance. Power the things that protect health and safety first, then comfort, and leave heating loads for another energy source.
The watt figures below are typical examples only. Your devices vary, so check the label on each one.
Priority 1: Communications and information
Phones, a radio, and a way to charge them. These use very little energy and are the lifeline for alerts, maps and contacting family.
- Phone charging: roughly 5 to 20 W while charging.
- Radio: a few watts, or none if hand-crank. See best emergency radios.
- Router and modem: often around 5 to 20 W together. Helpful if you have internet that works without grid power, or if you need Wi-Fi for work or alerts.
Priority 2: Light
LED lamps and lanterns are efficient. A single LED bulb often uses less than 15 W, and many lanterns use a watt or two. Use these before candles, which are a fire risk. Our guide to headlamps and lanterns can help you pick battery-powered lights that do not drain your main battery at all.
Priority 3: Medical and health devices
If anyone depends on powered medical equipment, such as a CPAP, a nebulizer, an oxygen concentrator or refrigerated medication, make a plan with their healthcare provider well before an outage. Check the device label for watts and ask your provider about backup. Do not guess. See CPAP and medical devices in a power outage.
- CPAP: commonly in the range of tens of watts, more with a heated humidifier. Many have a DC option; check the manual.
- Oxygen concentrators and other life-support devices can draw more, and may need a larger battery. Talk to your supplier.
Priority 4: The fridge and freezer
A fridge uses far more energy than a phone, but it cycles on and off. Typical running power is a few hundred watts with a start-up surge. Instead of running it all the time, many people power it for an hour or two at intervals, keep the doors closed, and let it hold the cold in between. See how long a power station will run a fridge and fridge and freezer food safety.
Priority 5: Convenience and comfort
- Laptops: often 30 to 100 W when charging.
- TV: from a few tens to a few hundred watts depending on size.
- Fans: tens of watts for a small one.
- Game console or other entertainment: varies, check the label.
These are nice to have but should come after the essentials. Use them sparingly.
Avoid heating and cooking loads
Devices that make heat use a lot of power. Space heaters, electric kettles, hair dryers, toasters, microwaves, electric stoves and clothes dryers commonly draw 1,000 W or more, and some draw much more. A battery that could run phones and lights for days may be empty in an hour or two. Most small power stations cannot run them at all. For safe options, see how to cook without power and how to stay warm without power.
Never use a barbecue, camp stove or fuel heater indoors. Carbon monoxide can be deadly.
How to build your own list
- Walk through the house and list what you would truly need in the first 24 hours.
- Look at the watt rating on each device label, or amps x volts.
- Estimate hours of use per day, then multiply watts by hours to get watt-hours.
- Add the numbers and compare them with your power station's capacity, leaving a reserve.
- Label a bin with the cables, chargers and extension cords, so you can set it up quickly.
The outage planner can help you run the numbers, and what size power station do I need shows the sizing method. If you are still shopping, visit the power stations hub.
Quick answers
Should I run the fridge all the time on a power station?
Not necessarily. A fridge cycles, so many people run it in short blocks and keep the door closed to hold the cold. See the fridge guide for details.
Can I run a space heater from a power station?
Most small and mid-size units cannot sustain the load, and it would drain a battery fast. Use safe, indoor-rated alternatives and warm clothing.