Backup generator comparisons

Standby vs portable. This is mostly a question of what you're willing to do at 3 a.m. in a storm. A standby unit senses the outage and transfers over in seconds with nobody outside. A portable requires you to move it 20 feet from the house, start it, run cords, and refuel it — repeatedly. The CPSC death toll for portables is overwhelmingly a placement and refueling problem, not a manufacturing one.

Natural gas vs propane. Natural gas is generally at least a third cheaper per unit and never runs out mid-outage. Propane carries about 2,520 BTU per cubic foot against roughly 1,012 for natural gas, so you burn far less volume, and it performs better in extreme cold — but you're managing tank levels and deliveries. Running cost estimates for a 20–21 kW unit put natural gas near $90 a day and propane near $220.

Generator vs home battery. Different tools. A battery is silent, has zero emissions, and needs no fuel, but its stored energy is finite and it recharges only from solar or the grid. A generator runs as long as fuel keeps arriving. If your outages are hours, a battery often wins; if they're days, fuel wins.

Whole-home vs essential circuits. The size jump from a 14–18 kW unit ($4,000–$5,500) to a 26–32 kW unit ($6,500–$15,000) is the biggest single lever on your quote. Most homes do not need everything running at once. Ask for both quotes.

How to choose

Count your outage hours before choosing

In 2024 the average U.S. customer lost power for about 663 minutes across roughly 1.5 interruptions — but that collapses to about 132 minutes once major storm days are excluded. Your local pattern is what matters.

If you have a gas line, that usually settles it

Natural gas removes both the refueling chore and the highest running cost. Propane makes sense when there's no service line or in severe cold.

Weigh the human cost of a portable honestly

Someone has to go outside in the weather, every few hours, to refuel a hot engine. If that person is elderly or the only adult home, a portable is the wrong answer.

Noise is a real neighbor problem

Typical home generators run 60 to 80 decibels. Check the spec sheet and your local noise ordinance before you pick a location.

Don't compare a battery on price alone

Compare on run time for the loads you care about. A battery that covers the fridge and internet for 12 hours is not the same product as a generator that runs the AC for a week.