![\"\"](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/power.jpg\")
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Over the weekend, much of the United States was hit with a huge winter storm that affected over 200 million people. Some of those folks lost power on account of the ice and snow.<\/p>\n
A lot of people don\u2019t think about their power until it goes out, at which time, of course, it\u2019s too late. Even if you don\u2019t live in an area that gets hit with snow and ice, other natural and manmade disasters can strike anywhere, and when you lose power in the modern world, a lot gets disrupted. You lose heat or AC. Your fridge warms up, causing food to spoil. Your Wi-Fi fails. Your phone battery dies. In some homes, you lose water pressure because pumps need electricity.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why it\u2019s worth having a backup power plan \u2014 so you can stay safe and maintain basic functions when the grid goes down.<\/p>\n
But building a backup power plan can get expensive.<\/p>\n
That’s why Creek Stewart and Joe Bassett, self-reliance experts and the authors of Emergency Communication<\/em> 101<\/em>,<\/a> advise thinking about your backup power plan in tiers. <\/p>\n Below, we\u2019ll walk through a progressively scalable approach so you can choose the level of backup power that fits your budget and be ready when the grid goes down.<\/p>\n Goal:<\/strong> Keep phones, radios, flashlights, and other small devices running for 1\u20132 days<\/p>\n Cost:<\/strong> ~$200+<\/p>\n This is the lowest-hanging fruit, and the place everyone should start. It will keep your phone charged for days, so you can stay informed and communicate with the outside world while utility workers restore power. You\u2019ll also ensure you have illumination available for dark nights. <\/p>\n Many emergency radios, flashlights, and small devices still run on AA or AAA batteries, so it\u2019s important to have plenty of batteries on hand so you can continue to use those things when the power goes out. <\/p>\n To keep things organized (and to avoid rummaging through junk drawers in the dark), get a Battery Daddy<\/a> \u2014 a case that stores batteries of various sizes. My mom got me one of these a few years ago for Christmas, and it\u2019s been very handy for home battery organization. I never have to rummage for batteries anymore.<\/p>\n Every household should have at least one solid power bank. These can charge a smartphone and other handheld devices multiple times and are perfect for short outages or evacuation kits. Power banks aren\u2019t just useful during blackouts \u2014 they\u2019re also great for travel and backpacking.<\/p>\n Good options:<\/p>\n A power bank might last you a day or two before it runs out of charge. How do you recharge it (and your devices) when the power is still out beyond that timeframe? Answer: a lightweight folding solar panel.<\/p>\n Solid option:<\/p>\n Goal:<\/strong> Power laptops, radios, and other larger devices for several days<\/p>\n Cost:<\/strong> ~$1,000+<\/p>\n With Tier 2, you\u2019re moving beyond keeping your phone charged during a blackout and looking to power bigger items like laptops, fridges, and even medical devices.<\/p>\n If you already own power tools, you already own a potential source of emergency power; you just may not realize it.<\/p>\n Most major tool brands offer inverter adapters that you can purchase and snap onto the 18V batteries that come out of your tools, turning them into USB or AC power sources.<\/p>\n Examples:<\/p>\n With the right adapter, you can charge phones, radios, and laptops using gear you already own.<\/p>\n Portable power stations are probably the easiest way to up your backup power game. They\u2019re basically large, rechargeable batteries with built-in inverters and outlets. A small power station won\u2019t run a refrigerator or a microwave, but you can power LED lamps to light your home during the night and medical devices like a CPAP machine.<\/p>\n Good entry-level option for a power station: Jackery Explorer 300.<\/a><\/p>\n It can charge smartphones and laptops multiple times, keep a Wi-Fi router and modem running for several hours, and power LED lights all evening. It\u2019ll also run medical devices like a CPAP machine through the night.<\/p>\n You can recharge the Jackery Explorer in multiple ways: by plugging it into a wall outlet when the grid is up, charging it from a car\u2019s 12-volt outlet, or pairing it with a folding solar panel to recharge during daylight hours. That flexibility is what makes them so useful in multi-day outages.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking to keep your fridge running during a power outage, but aren\u2019t ready to pay for a huge portable generator, a small inverter gas generator is hard to beat. With one of these, you can not only keep your devices charged, but you can also power many of the conveniences in your home that depend on electricity.<\/p>\n Good entry option: Honda EU2200i<\/a><\/p>\n This generator is small and portable, but it can power a lot.<\/p>\n With a small generator like the Honda EU2200i, you can realistically do things like:<\/p>\n The key thing to remember with a generator this small is that you can\u2019t run everything at the same time.<\/strong> So you can\u2019t run the fridge, the furnace fan, and the microwave all at once on a small generator. You can plug in the fridge for a few hours and then unplug it to use your microwave for a few minutes. Think of using a small generator in sequences, not all at once.<\/p>\n One rule for gas generators: only run them outdoors.<\/strong> Because it runs on gasoline, it emits carbon monoxide while in use. Run the generator outside and use extension cords specifically designed for generator use to connect it to your devices inside.<\/p>\n The tradeoff with a generator like this is fuel. To use it during an outage, you need gasoline on hand. That means storing fuel in advance and rotating it every few months to prevent it from going bad. Make sure to read our article on how to store fuel safely. <\/a><\/p>\n This is one of the most overlooked backup power options, even though most people already own the most expensive part of the setup: a car.<\/p>\n With a quality inverter clamped directly to a car battery, your vehicle can function as a makeshift generator.<\/p>\n Example: BESTEK 1000W Pure Sine Wave Inverter<\/a><\/p>\n For under $150, you can run a refrigerator intermittently to keep it cool, charge laptops and phones, or top off a small portable power station by simply idling your car. It\u2019s not particularly efficient and probably shouldn\u2019t be your first option in a power outage, but in a prolonged outage, it\u2019s a perfectly serviceable Plan B for larger devices.<\/p>\n Goal: <\/strong>Run lights, refrigerator, furnace, and key appliances<\/p>\n Cost:<\/strong> ~$800\u2013$5,000<\/p>\n With Tier 3, we\u2019re aiming to bring as much normalcy to your home as possible, even when the power is out. The focus shifts from powering individual devices to powering circuits in your home. By tying a generator or large power station to your breaker panel via a transfer switch, the lights will turn on when you flip the switch, the furnace will kick on when the thermostat tells it to, and the fridge will keep running in the background. With Tier 3, you won\u2019t be able to power your entire<\/em> house during a power outage, but you\u2019ll be able to power parts<\/em> of it.<\/p>\n If you want to power household circuits safely using a larger, portable generator, you need a transfer switch. A transfer switch allows you to connect a generator or other power source directly to selected circuits in your breaker panel \u2014 such as those powering your refrigerator, furnace blower, lights, or outlets \u2014 without risking backfeeding electricity into the grid.<\/p>\n Trusted brands:<\/p>\n You\u2019ll want to hire an electrician to install the transfer switch. This is not the place for YouTube DIYism.<\/p>\n For most homes, a generator in the 5,000\u20138,000-watt range is enough to run essentials without constant juggling.<\/p>\n Solid options:<\/p>\n With a generator in this class and a transfer switch, you can potentially run the following at the <\/strong><\/em>same time<\/strong><\/em>:<\/p>\n Large portable generators run on fuel. Some of them run on gasoline, others on propane, and others can connect to your home\u2019s natural gas line. If you\u2019re going with a gasoline-powered one, make sure you\u2019ve got enough gas stored to keep it running during an outage.<\/p>\n If you want quiet, indoor, safe power without fuel or engines, large power stations \u2014 essentially oversized rechargeable batteries \u2014 have come a long way. They\u2019re basically scaled-up versions of the small power stations in Tier 2. Large power stations can be tied into a home\u2019s breaker panel via a transfer switch to power selected circuits, though runtime and load are more limited than with fuel-based generators.<\/p>\n Strong option: Jackery Explorer 3000 Pro <\/a><\/p>\n With 3,000 watts of output, a unit like this can run refrigerators, lights, Wi-Fi, and other household essentials. It\u2019s expensive, but it\u2019s plug-and-play, silent, and maintenance-free. You can pair it with some solar panels to keep it charged during extended blackouts.<\/p>\n EV Vehicle-to-Load (V2L)<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got an electric vehicle, you can use it as a power station for your home during a blackout.<\/p>\n Examples:<\/p>\n Many V2L-capable EVs have battery packs in the 60\u2013100 kWh range. To put that in perspective, that\u2019s 20\u201340 times the capacity of a typical portable power station. With the right setup, that kind of stored energy can keep essential household circuits running for days.<\/p>\n Depending on the vehicle and configuration, you can use an EV to power items like refrigerators, lights, Wi-Fi equipment, and outlets \u2014 either by plugging directly into the vehicle’s built-in outlets or by integrating the car into a home power system with additional hardware (Ford has hardware that allows you to do this with the F-150 Lightning; Hyundai does not).<\/p>\n The main limitation is that once the battery is drained, you need to recharge it \u2014 either from the grid when power returns or from a charging station if one is available. Still, if you already own a V2L-capable EV, it\u2019s a powerful backup power option.<\/p>\n Goal:<\/strong> Seamless, automatic backup for long outages<\/p>\n Cost:<\/strong> $10,000+<\/p>\n This is the \u201cDidn\u2019t even notice the outage\u201d tier.<\/p>\n With Tier 4, when the power goes down, you don\u2019t roll out extension cords, fire up an engine, or think about what can run and what can\u2019t. Your home is equipped with a permanently installed system \u2014 either a standby generator or a whole-home battery \u2014 that automatically takes over. The lights stay on. The fridge stays cool. The HVAC keeps doing its thing. If you weren\u2019t paying attention, you might not even realize anything happened.<\/p>\n This tier is about permanent resilience.<\/p>\n Tier 4 isn\u2019t for everyone. It\u2019s expensive, and could be overkill if you live somewhere with steady weather and a low chance of outages. But if you live in an area with unreliable power, extreme weather, or medical or work requirements that demand uninterrupted electricity, I couldn\u2019t recommend this option more. Outages become a non-issue, the peace of mind is significant, and the overall ROI is huge.<\/p>\n Standby generators are permanently installed outside your home and wired directly into your electrical system. When the grid goes down, they automatically start up \u2014 usually within seconds \u2014 and take over.<\/p>\n Industry standard: Generac Guardian Series <\/a><\/p>\n We have a Generac for our home. The previous owner had it installed, and it came with the house. I didn\u2019t think much about it when we first bought our home, but after an extended power outage in Tulsa shortly after we moved in, it\u2019s become one of my favorite things about the house. When the power goes out in the neighborhood, our lives go on as normal.<\/p>\n These units typically run on natural gas or propane (ours runs on natural gas), which means no scrambling for fuel during an outage. As long as fuel continues to flow, a Generac can power your entire home indefinitely: lights, HVAC, appliances, ovens, laundry, the whole deal.<\/p>\n The main downsides with a standby generator are that they\u2019re loud (it\u2019s basically a large engine that runs while the power is out) and expensive \u2014 look to spend at least $10K.<\/p>\n They also require regular maintenance, like replacing the battery, fuel filter, and spark plugs. If you don\u2019t keep up on maintenance, you might find yourself with a generator that doesn\u2019t kick on when the power goes out. That happened to me once. Nothing more frustrating than having a source of power that you can\u2019t use because you didn\u2019t check if the battery to kickstart the engine needed to be replaced. My kingdom for a working generator!<\/p>\n But you may find the cost, upkeep, and noise very worth it; you don\u2019t have to worry about power at all during an outage and can stay completely safe and comfortable.<\/p>\n A newer option for whole-home power backup is a whole-home battery system. They take a different approach from a standby generator. Instead of making electricity with an engine, they store it in large batteries and deploy it instantly when the grid goes down.<\/p>\n Examples:<\/p>\n These systems switch over silently and almost instantaneously. Unlike gas-powered generators, there\u2019s no noise. Paired with rooftop solar, whole-home batteries can provide renewable backup power with very little ongoing maintenance. Whole-home battery systems are expensive. A single Tesla Powerwall starts at around $9k, and most homes will need more than one.<\/p>\n To be prepared for a grid-down scenario, start with the backup power tier that fits your current budget and needs, and work up to a level that you can afford that will give you the most safety and peace of mind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Over the weekend, much of the United States was hit with a huge winter storm that affected over 200 million people. Some of those folks lost power on account of the ice and snow. A lot of people don\u2019t think about their power until it goes out, at which time, of course, it\u2019s too late. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":192333,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":3,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"","activitypub_status":"federated","footnotes":""},"categories":[42277,42276],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-192331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-homeownership","category-lifestyle"],"featured_image_urls":{"large":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/power-538x280.jpg","aom":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/power-372x230.jpg","reactor-320":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/power-320x214.jpg","reactor-640":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/power-640x427.jpg"},"yoast_head":"\nTier 1: Small Device Power Support<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Batteries<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Image1\"](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image1-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nPortable Power Banks<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Image2\"\/](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image2-1.jpg\")
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Small Portable Solar Panel<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Image9\"\/](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image9.jpg\")
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Tier 2: Larger Device Power Support<\/strong><\/h2>\n
18-Volt Tool Batteries<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Image11\"](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image11.jpg\")
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Small Portable Power Stations<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Image3\"\/](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image3-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nSmall Inverter Gas Generators<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Image7\"\/](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image7-1.jpg\")
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Vehicle Power Inverters<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Image12\"\/](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image12.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nTier 3: <\/strong>Circuit-Level Power<\/strong> for Large Appliances<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Transfer Switch (Critical)<\/h3>\n
![\"Image8\"\/](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image8-1.jpg\")
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Large Portable Generators<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Image10\"\/](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image10.jpg\")
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Large Power Stations<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Image6\"\/](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image6-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Image5\"\/](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image5-1.jpg\")
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Tier 4: Whole-House Automatic Power<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Standby Generators<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Image4\"](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image4-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nWhole-Home Battery Systems<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Image13\"](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image13.jpg\")
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