For the essentials in a power cut, a fridge-freezer, the internet, phones, a TV and lights, a 2 kW inverter generator is plenty: by our version of Honda's sizing method they need about 1,050 W to 1,150 W. Add a microwave and the same cautious method calls for about 2,600 W to 2,850 W, more than a 2 kW model, though the microwave on its own, at up to 1,300 W, is well within one. A kettle or an electric heater, at 2,000 to 3,000 W each, is too much for the usual 2 kW models on top of everything else.
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Honda UK's method has three steps. We use it with one change, explained below the example:
Published start-up figures for a fridge or freezer vary from about 400 W to 1,500 W; Honda gives 400-600 W for a compressor fridge, and Sealey says motors such as freezers start at about three times their running wattage. Our sizer allows 600 W for a modern fridge-freezer.
| List | Running | Plus the fridge's start-up | With a 20-30% margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fridge-freezer, router, fibre box, 2 phones, TV, 4 lamps, laptop | 431 W | 881 W | 1,050 W to 1,150 W |
| The same plus a microwave | 1,731 W | 2,181 W | 2,600 W to 2,850 W |
Our arithmetic, from the appliance figures in our sizer, which shows the basis of each. We add only the fridge's extra draw at start-up (600 W less its 150 W running draw), because its running draw is already in the total. Honda's own example adds the whole starting figure on top, which gives about 1,240 to 1,340 W for the essentials. Either way it's cautious: everything rarely starts at the same moment.
A generator whose electronics turn the engine's output into steady mains-quality power. Honda says inverter technology "produces electricity as good as that in your home" and is "ideal for powering the most sensitive electronic equipment", with "greater fuel efficiency and less noise". Sealey's guide says that for televisions and laptops "you will need to purchase an Invertor Generator". The catch is the price: Honda calls them "on the expensive side".
A portable generator powers appliances plugged into its own sockets. Connecting one to your home's wiring is a job for an electrician: SSEN says "Only a qualified electrician can connect a generator safely", and SP Energy Networks says the incoming supply "must be switched off and isolated" first, to protect engineers working on the lines.
All the models side by side, with fuel cost per hour: petrol and inverter generators for a power cut.
Prices and stock checked 4 November 2026. Noise figures aren't comparable across makers: Honda measures at the operator's position, the others at 7 m.
2,000 W running, 2,200 W peak, electric start and a 6-litre tank: 7.5 hours at half load, by Hyundai's figures. Hyundai lists 61 dB at 7 m. On pre-order when we checked, shipping after 28 November.
Pre-order only at Hyundai when we checked on 4 November.
1,800 W running, 2,200 W peak, about 21 kg, and 3.5 hours at rated load from 3.6 litres. Honda's long-running model, and the most expensive here. Out of stock at Honda's UK shop when we checked.
Sold out at Honda when we checked on 4 November.
| Model | Output | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Champion 92001i | 2,200 W peak, 1,900 W running | 58 dB(A) at 7 m, 17.6 kg, two UK sockets. £397.99 at Generators Direct, out of stock. |
| Draper 95197 | 2,300 W | 33 kg on wheels, aimed at trade use; Screwfix lists its sockets as 230 V 16 A. £709.99 at Screwfix, in stock. |
| Sealey G2000I | 2,000 W | Two 230 V sockets; sold through Sealey stockists, £559.95 before VAT on Sealey's list. |
A generator runs as long as you have fuel, but it has to stay outdoors. A portable power station is usually quiet, though its fans can be heard, can sit indoors next to the fridge, and needs no fuel, but holds a fixed amount of energy. Six questions about your home give an answer: Which backup power?