The four things to keep running
| Priority | What | Power it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Heat | Gas furnace fan, or a wood/propane stove | Fan: 100–800 W |
| Food | Refrigerator and freezer | 1.5–3 kWh a day together |
| Light | LED lights | Tiny |
| Contact | Phones, Wi-Fi, Starlink, radio | Small |
Medical gear like a CPAP goes to the top of the list.
Checklist
- A power station sized for your essentials. Check it in the runtime calculator.
- Folding solar panels so it refills on clear days between storms.
- A non-electric heat source, a CO detector, and fresh batteries in it.
- Freezer full (it stays cold longer), fridge set colder before the storm.
- Phones and power station charged before the storm hits.
- If you have a generator: fuel, extension cords, and a spot outside, far from windows.
For next winter
If outages are a yearly thing, home backup with batteries keeps the whole house running silently, and pays you back on your bill the rest of the year.
Questions people ask
How do I keep my house warm in a winter power outage?
A wood stove or propane heater (rated for indoor use, with ventilation and a CO detector) needs no electricity. A gas furnace needs power for its blower fan, which a power station or battery system can run.
Will a power station run a space heater?
Only briefly. A 1,500 W space heater drains a 2 kWh station in about an hour. Save batteries for the fridge, lights and furnace fan, and heat another way.
Get the exact setup
A few taps and you'll know exactly what to buy for your situation.