Portable power stations for power cuts

By the Ferncharge team · Figures last checked 18 October 2026

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The short answer: a portable power station can keep a few essentials going in a power cut, such as lights, phones, the broadband router and, for a while, a fridge. It won't run your home's heating or wiring, and it shouldn't be connected to it. Work out what you need with the sizing calculator. Our example 12-hour winter power cut (fridge-freezer, router, three lamps, phones and an hour of electric blanket) comes to about 3,051 Wh rated capacity, with about 793 W continuous AC output and a 1,834 W start-up peak.

Compared on manufacturers' published specs. Ferncharge has not tested these products. Estimates only.

First: what to do in a power cut

Call 105 (free) to report or get updates on a power cut in England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland, call 03457 643643 (GOV.UK Prepare).
Use torches rather than candles, and keep a battery or wind-up radio (GOV.UK Prepare).
Keep the fridge and freezer closed. The Food Standards Agency says your fridge should stay cold for up to 4 hours, and food in a full freezer should stay frozen for up to 48 hours (24 hours if half full). It notes these are estimates (FSA).
If you use medical equipment that needs power, plan for power cuts with your care provider (GOV.UK Prepare) and join the Priority Services Register (below).

Priority Services Register (PSR)

Your energy supplier and your network operator each keep a Priority Services Register, which the government's Prepare site describes as a free service (GOV.UK Prepare). You can ask to join if, for example, you've reached state pension age, are living with a disability or long-term medical condition, or use medical equipment that needs a power supply. Contact your supplier or network operator directly. If you have different gas and electricity suppliers, contact each one (Ofgem). In power cuts, network operators must offer PSR customers extra help, for example battery packs for charging phones or medical equipment. What each company offers differs (Ofgem). In Northern Ireland, these registers are called Customer Care Registers (GOV.UK Prepare). NIE Networks, the network operator there, runs one for people who rely on electricity for healthcare needs (NIE Networks).

Compensation for long power cuts

In England, Scotland and Wales, your local network operator pays compensation automatically for long power cuts (except the extra payment for repeated cuts, which you claim). Summary from Ofgem, checked 18 October 2026 (2026 figures; Ofgem reviews the amounts each year based on inflation):

Normal weather: £100 for a home if the cut lasts more than 12 hours (when fewer than 5,000 properties are affected) or more than 24 hours (more than 5,000), plus £45 for each further 12 hours. The maximum is £400 where 5,000 or more properties are affected.
More than four cuts in a year, each lasting at least 3 hours: an extra £100. You need to claim this.
Severe weather: storm category 1 pays £90 for the first 24 hours plus £45 for every 6 hours after. Category 2 pays £90 for the first 48 hours plus £45 for every 6 hours after. The maximum for both is £2,235.

Check Ofgem's page for the full rules before relying on these figures.

What a power station can run in a power cut

Appliance	Typical watts (source)	Notes
Broadband router	7–10 W (Energy Savers)	Plus the fibre box if you have full fibre. See router and Wi-Fi
Fridge	40–120 W (Energy Savers)	Compressors have a start-up surge. Check the surge rating
Fridge-freezer	200–400 W (Energy Savers)	As above
Electric blanket	130–200 W (Energy Savers)	See electric blanket
Kettle	3,000 W (Energy Savers)	Above the continuous output of all four example models (300–1,800 W). See kettle
CPAP machine	Maker's spec only	See CPAP. Talk to your equipment supplier or clinician first

Watts × hours = watt-hours. Add up what you'll run and for how long, then use the calculator for the full working.

What to look for on a spec sheet

Capacity (Wh) to cover your total, with a margin.
Continuous AC output and surge to cover what runs at once, plus start-up peaks.
A stated UPS or switchover function if you want it to take over automatically. Stated examples are in the spec table.
Charging inputs: how fast it recharges from the mains before a storm, and whether it takes solar.

Example models (alphabetical, stated specs on the spec table): Anker SOLIX C1000 · BLUETTI AC180 · EcoFlow RIVER 3 · Jackery Explorer 1000 v2. Each name links to the maker's UK product page, where you can check the current price.

Safety

Never connect a power station or generator to your home's wiring. Plug appliances straight into it. HSENI warns that connecting a generator to your home can cause injury or death (HSENI).
Fuel generators must never be used indoors, including in garages, because of carbon monoxide (HSENI).
Charge lithium batteries on a hard, flat surface, away from escape routes (NFCC), and follow your power station's manual for where to use it. See our safety guide.

Phones and landlines

Digital landlines don't work in a power cut without a battery backup. If you rely on your landline and have no working mobile, your provider must offer a free backup lasting at least an hour (Ofcom).

FAQs

Can a portable power station power my house in a power cut?

Not the house wiring. Plug individual appliances into it. Never connect it to your consumer unit or sockets.

How long will a power station run a fridge in a power cut?

It depends on the fridge's average draw, which varies as the compressor cycles. Enter its rating and hours in the calculator. The FSA says a fridge should stay cold for up to 4 hours in a power cut if you keep the door closed as much as possible.

Will I get compensation for a power cut?

Possibly. Ofgem sets automatic payments for long power cuts, starting at £100 for homes in normal weather after 12 or 24 hours depending on how many properties are affected. Check Ofgem's page for the full rules.

Should I rely on a power station for medical equipment?

Don't rely on our estimates. Talk to your equipment supplier or clinician about backup power, and join the Priority Services Register (in Northern Ireland, a Customer Care Register).

Related: Router and Wi-Fi · CPAP · Electric blanket · Spec table · Safety

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