Generator vs Power Station Calculator
| 10-yr total, your prices | 1 day/yr | 3 days/yr | 6 days/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 W | pps +$384 | pps +$351 | pps +$302 |
| 800 W | pps +$367 | pps +$302 | pps +$205 |
| 1600 W | pps +$335 | pps +$205 | pps +$9 |
| 2400 W | pps +$302 | pps +$107 | gen +$186 |
Enter the load you actually need during an outage, how long outages last at your house, your gas price, and what each box costs. The calculator prices a single outage day on each side, then the full ten-year ledger including maintenance and battery cycle wear.
The framing that ends most arguments: the generator wins the ledger and the power station wins the rules. Fuel is cheap per kWh and the runtime never ends - but a gas generator runs outside only, storms permitting, and the battery runs silent anywhere in the house. Most well-prepared homes end up using both.
How to use
- Outage load is the essentials: fridge 150 W, furnace fan 400 W, lights and router 150 W - about 700-1,000 W for most households, not the whole panel.
- Hours per day and outage days per year set the fuel and cycle math; a stormy region runs 3-6 outage days a year.
- Prices: a 2,000-3,000 W inverter generator runs $500-900; a 1,000-1,500 Wh power station runs $600-1,500.
- The model burns 0.22 gallon per kWh for the generator and charges the station at your electric rate plus 15 percent loss.
Frequently asked questions
Is a power station cheaper than a generator?
Per outage hour the generator usually wins - gasoline at $3.20 runs about 70 cents per kWh against 20 cents to recharge a station - but the station has almost no other costs while the generator adds oil, plugs and stabilized fuel. Over ten years at a few outage days a year the totals land close; the calculator prices your exact outage pattern.
Can I run a generator indoors?
Never - not in the garage, not with the window cracked. Generators kill through carbon monoxide faster than any of their other risks combined, which is why every safety guide, including Ready.gov, puts them outdoors and far from windows. This single rule is why battery stations exist at all.
How long will a power station run a fridge?
A 1,000 Wh station runs a modern 150 W fridge cycling at a third duty for roughly 15-20 hours, or a furnace fan and router overnight with room to spare. The power station size calculator prices your exact load list; this page prices the years of ownership.
Do generators need maintenance?
Yes - oil changes every 50-100 run hours, fresh fuel with stabilizer (or a run-dry habit), and an annual test start. The calculator adds $15 a year for consumables; the real cost is the morning it will not start, which is why the test start matters more than the oil brand.
Which is better for a whole house?
Neither - that is standby-generator territory: a 14-20 kW automatic unit on a concrete pad with a transfer switch, $12,000-18,000 installed. Portable equipment is for keeping the essentials alive, and the honest pairing is a station for indoors plus a generator for the heavy loads outside.