Home Backup Power: How to Keep Your Home Running During a Power Cut

Power cuts can happen unexpectedly, whether from severe weather, local network faults, maintenance or infrastructure issues. A home backup power station can keep your essential appliances running when the mains fails — no petrol, no fumes, no noise.

What Can a Home Backup Power Station Run?

The answer depends on the unit's capacity and output power. A high-capacity power station (2,000Wh+) with a 2,000W+ output can typically run:

• Fridge/freezer (150–200W) — keep food fresh for 10–15 hours
• Lighting (LED, 5–10W per bulb)
• Phone, laptop, tablet charging
• TV and broadband router
• Electric blanket or small fan heater

For higher-demand appliances like electric ovens, showers or heat pumps, you'll need a larger expandable home battery system designed for whole-home use.

How Long Will It Last?

Divide the power station's capacity (Wh) by the total wattage of your running appliances to estimate runtime. A 2,000Wh unit powering a fridge (150W), lights (30W) and a TV (60W) — 240W total — would last around 8 hours. Solar charging can significantly extend backup runtime when sufficient solar generation is available.

Choosing the Right System

Compact backup systems (500–1,000Wh)

Suitable for keeping phones, laptops, routers and LED lighting running during a short outage. Portable and affordable, these are a practical first step into home backup. Not intended for running large appliances.

Mid-range systems (1,000–2,000Wh)

A good fit for most households needing several hours of essential backup — fridge, router, lights and device charging. Handles most small appliances and can be supplemented with solar panels for extended runtime.

High-capacity systems (2,000Wh+)

For longer outages or higher loads, systems in the 2,000–4,000Wh range can keep a full-size fridge running for a day or more alongside other essentials. These typically offer higher AC output power and faster recharging.

Expandable modular systems

Designed for serious home energy independence, modular systems allow additional battery capacity to be added over time. Total storage can reach tens of kilowatt-hours, making them suitable for extended power cuts or partial off-grid living.

Should You Add Solar?

For home backup, solar is highly recommended. A 400–800W solar array can recharge a large power station from the sun during the day, extending your backup duration significantly. Solar charging can significantly extend how long your backup system can run during a prolonged outage.

Getting Started

We recommend starting with your most critical appliances: fridge, router and phone charging. Add up their wattage, then choose a power station with at least twice that capacity to allow for multiple days of use or overnight running.

Browse our home backup power range or contact us for a recommendation based on your specific needs.