Battery backup for power outages: what to buy for your home

Start with two questions

How long are your outages? Think about the last few years, not the worst-case storm. The EIA found that US customers averaged about 11 hours without power in 2024, the most in a decade, but most of that came from hurricanes. In much of the country, a typical outage lasts an hour or two.

What can’t you do without? For most homes it’s a short list: the fridge, the internet, some light, phones, and sometimes a medical device, the furnace blower or a sump pump. Everything else can wait.

Those two answers decide what you need. Here’s how they play out in five common situations.

1. Short, occasional outages

Power drops for an hour or two a few times a year, and the main annoyance is losing Wi-Fi and having to reset the clocks.

What to buy: a 1 kWh portable power station, kept charged in a cupboard or plugged in as a UPS for the router and computer. That’s enough to keep the internet up for days, or the fridge for most of a day. Prices for 1 kWh models from the big brands ranged from about $509 to $799 in November 2026.

If all you care about is staying online for a few minutes, a small computer UPS on the router is cheaper still.

2. Someone relies on medical equipment

CPAP machines, oxygen concentrators, powered beds and fridges holding insulin turn an outage from an inconvenience into a health issue.

What to buy: size for at least two nights, with margin. A CPAP draws roughly 30 to 60 W without its heated humidifier, so a 1 kWh power station covers two to three nights. With the humidifier on, the draw can be several times higher, so plan for a 2 kWh unit or turn the humidifier off during outages. Many CPAP makers sell a DC power cord that runs from a power station’s 12 V outlet, which wastes less energy than the AC inverter. Oxygen concentrators often draw several hundred watts, so check the label and size carefully.

Look for a fast UPS switchover so the device doesn’t restart. Anker, for example, quotes under 10 ms for its C1000 Gen 2.

Also do this: in the UK, join the Priority Services Register with your network operator and supplier. It’s free, and it gets you priority help and warnings about planned cuts. Many US utilities keep a similar list for customers who rely on medical equipment, so ask yours. Neither guarantees your power stays on, which is why the battery matters.

3. Working from home

Losing power means losing a working day. You need the router, the modem, a laptop and maybe a monitor, which together draw about 100 to 150 W.

What to buy: a 1 kWh power station runs that setup for six to eight hours. If you use a desktop computer, use the power station’s UPS mode and choose one with a switchover under 10 ms. If outages often last longer than a working day, step up to 2 kWh or add a solar panel.

Check your internet first: if the outage takes down the provider’s equipment in your street, your router won’t help, and a phone hotspot running from the power station is the backup.

4. Storms that knock out power for days

Hurricanes, ice storms and wildfires can cut power for several days, which no small battery can cover on its own.

What to buy: a 2 to 5 kWh power station, ideally expandable, with 400 W or more of solar panels, or an installed home battery. Keep the fridge running and leave a full freezer closed: FoodSafety.gov says a full freezer holds a safe temperature for about 48 hours, against up to 4 hours for the fridge.

For very long outages, a fuel generator still gives the most hours per dollar. Many households pair the two, using the battery for silent, instant power and the generator to recharge it for an hour or two a day. Never run a generator indoors or in a garage.

5. An all-electric home, a well or a sump pump

If your heating, water or flood protection depends on electricity, essentials get bigger. Well pumps and many heat pumps run on 240 V and draw a big surge when they start. A sump pump failing during a storm can flood a basement.

What to buy: an installed home battery that backs up those circuits, or a large 120/240 V power station connected through a transfer switch by an electrician. EnergySage puts a typical installed Tesla Powerwall 3 at about $13,500 before incentives in 2026. Our guide to whole-home or essentials-only backup helps you size it.

What to buy at each budget

Budget	What it gets you
Under a few hundred dollars	A computer UPS for the router and PC, or a small 300 Wh power station for phones, lights and a CPAP night
About $500 to $800	A 1 kWh power station: fridge for most of a day, or internet and laptop through a working day
About $900 to $2,000	A 1 to 2 kWh power station with solar panels, for outages of a day or more
Several thousand dollars	A large 120/240 V power station with a transfer switch, for essential circuits
About $13,000 and up	An installed home battery, switching over automatically

Before the next outage

• Charge the battery and test it under load for an hour.
• Keep heavy-duty extension cords with it, long enough to reach the fridge.
• Find your fridge’s daily energy use on its label so you know your runtime.
• Freeze bottles of water to fill empty freezer space.
• Sign up for outage alerts from your utility.
• If someone at home uses medical equipment, register them with your utility or network operator.
• Never backfeed the house through a wall outlet, and never run a fuel generator indoors.

For specific models, see our best portable power stations, and for the bigger options, home battery backup, explained.