Your Survival Guy is a fan of generators for backup power, but today, there are alternatives and accessories you can add to improve your disaster preparation. Coupling a generator with backup battery power is becoming less expensive and easier. Battery backups like a Tesla Powerwall are always available and come with some benefits compared to generators. Those include:
- Less maintenance
- Quiet
- Can be coupled with solar to store power when it’s abundant (daytime) and use it when it isn’t (nighttime, or power outages).
The major downside of a system like that is expense, with Powerwalls starting at around $15,000. In many instances, you can get a whole-house generator installed for a similar amount or maybe less.
You don’t need a whole-house system to enjoy backup battery power. The market is full of new battery generators and solar generators that you can pre-fill and use to run the most important systems in your home in the event of an outage. Popular Mechanics says these are some of the best:
- Best Overall: Bluetti Elite 200 V2 Portable Power Station
- Best Value: Jackery Explorer 300 Plus Portable Power Station
- Best Whole-Home Backup: EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 Portable Power Station
- Most Versatile: Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 Portable Power Station
- Best Mid-Size: Ecoflow Delta Pro Portable Power Station
Here’s the caveat: these systems are great for getting you through a rolling blackout or a temporary grid interruption, but if you aren’t generating new power with a generator or solar to refill the batteries, a long power disruption will still affect you.
But long power disruptions in the United States are fairly uncommon. Last year, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) published the chart below detailing the average annual total hours of electric power interruptions per customer over the previous ten years before 2022. The number never breached nine hours.
Certain areas are more prone to power interruptions than others, so keep that in mind if you live in states with more remote areas or states with more violent weather patterns. You can see some of the hardest hit states on the EIA’s chart below:
Action Line: Assess your risks and your budget, and make a decision that will help you keep the lights on as much as possible. Click here to subscribe to my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter.
