Home Backup Power Guide: Keeping Essentials Running in an Outage

Power cuts in Europe are usually short, but not always. Storms, grid faults and maintenance work can leave homes without electricity for hours, and occasionally for longer, as the large blackout on the Iberian Peninsula in April 2025 showed. A portable power station is a quiet, exhaust-free way to keep the essentials running: the fridge, the internet connection, lights and medical devices. This guide explains how to plan for it.

What to keep running

Start with a short list of what really matters during an outage. For most households it looks like this:

For the fridge-freezer, take the annual consumption on the EU energy label and divide it by 365. A model with 250 kWh per year uses around 0.7 kWh per day.

Some devices are less obvious. A gas or oil heating system needs electricity for its controls and circulation pump; without it, the heating stops even though there is fuel. Do not connect heating systems or any other permanently wired equipment yourself: this requires a qualified electrician and equipment designed for the purpose.

Why 2–4 kWh suits a day of essentials

Adding up the table above, a household that keeps the fridge-freezer, router, lights, phones and a laptop running typically needs 1.5–2.5 kWh for 24 hours. With a CPAP device or a TV, the figure rises. After allowing about 15 % for inverter losses and a margin for the unexpected, this leads to the 2–4 kWh class.

• Around 2 kWh: essentials for roughly a day in a small household, or several days for the router and lights alone. Examples in our range: the EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max (2,048 Wh, 2,400 W), the PECRON E2400LFP (2,048 Wh, 2,400 W) and the UAPOW AP2000 (2,048 Wh, 2,600 W).
• 3–4 kWh: a full day with more devices, or comfort loads such as a microwave or kettle for short periods. Examples: the PECRON E3800LFP (3,840 Wh, 4,200 W) and the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 (4,096 Wh, 4,000 W).

For a detailed calculation, see our guide on how to size a portable power station, or enter your devices in the AI Solution tool and choose the Home backup preset.

Output power: check what runs at the same time

Fridges and freezers draw several times their running power for a moment when the compressor starts. Make sure the station's surge rating covers this, and that the continuous rating covers everything you will run at once. If you want to use a microwave, kettle or electric hob during an outage, you need a continuous output above that appliance's rating, typically 1,000–2,200 W.

Electric heaters, ovens and heat pumps are generally not practical with a portable power station: a 2,000 W heater would empty a 2 kWh battery in about an hour.

UPS function and switchover time

Many power stations can stay plugged into the wall and pass grid power through to your devices. If the grid fails, they switch to battery power automatically. Manufacturers call this a UPS or EPS function.

The key figure is the switchover time. Many models specify 10–30 milliseconds, and some specify less than 10 ms. Routers, lights and fridges generally ride through a switchover of this length without noticing. Desktop computers, network storage and some sensitive equipment may restart if the gap is too long. A true online UPS, as used in server rooms, has no switchover at all; a portable power station is not a full replacement for one. If uninterrupted operation matters, check the specified switchover time and test your setup with a planned interruption before you rely on it.

CPAP and other medical devices

A power station can run a CPAP device through the night. To get the most runtime:

• Use the manufacturer's DC power cable if one is available. It avoids inverter losses and can extend runtime considerably.
• Switch off the heated humidifier if your doctor agrees; it can use more energy than the CPAP itself.
• Calculate with the device's actual consumption, which is often lower than the rating on the power supply.

Please do not rely on a portable power station as the only backup for life-sustaining medical equipment. Speak to your doctor or the equipment supplier about a backup plan.

Expanding capacity for longer outages

If you want to be prepared for outages that last more than a day, consider a station that accepts extra batteries. Many 2 kWh-class models can be expanded to 5 kWh or more, and the largest systems in our range to considerably more. You buy the inverter once and add capacity as needed. Compatible extra batteries are listed separately, and our comparison tool shows the maximum expandable capacity of each model.

Recharging during a long outage

Once the grid is down, you need another way to recharge:

• Solar panels are the most practical. Several hundred watts of panels can refill a significant part of a 2 kWh battery on a sunny day.
• Car charging through the 12 V socket is slow, typically around 100 W.
• Charge regularly before an outage. Many stations can stay connected to the grid permanently; others should be topped up every few months. Follow the manufacturer's recommendation so the station is full when you need it.

Never connect a power station to a wall socket

Do not plug the AC output of a power station into a wall socket or connect it to your home's wiring with an improvised cable. This can feed power back into the grid, endanger people working on the network and damage the station. Some manufacturers offer transfer switches or home backup panels designed for their stations; these must be installed by a qualified electrician in line with local regulations.

Safe use indoors

• Power stations produce no exhaust, so they can be used indoors, unlike petrol generators.
• Place the station on a hard, level surface with free space around the ventilation openings.
• Keep it away from heat sources, water and flammable materials.
• Store it in a dry place within the storage temperature range stated in the manual; moderate room temperature is ideal.
• Do not use a station that is damaged, swollen or unusually hot; switch it off and contact the seller.

Checklist

1. List your essential devices and their daily energy use.
2. Choose a station with enough capacity (with margin) and enough continuous and surge output.
3. Check the UPS switchover time if you want automatic changeover.
4. Plan how to recharge: solar panels and, if possible, extra batteries.
5. Keep the station charged and test it once before you need it.

Browse power stations suited to home backup, or let the AI Solution tool find matching systems from each brand we carry.