A home emergency power plan is mostly arithmetic and a little preparation. You decide what must stay on, add up how much power and energy it needs, and match that to a backup source. This guide walks through that process using a portable power station, such as a Jackery, as the example. For the wider background, see Power Outages & Off-Grid Power: The Problem Solved.
Step 1: Decide What Actually Matters
Start with a short list, not the whole house. Most portable stations are built for individual devices, not whole-home circuits. Sort items into three groups:
- Safety and health: medical equipment, flashlights, carbon monoxide alarms, phone charging for emergency calls.
- Communication and information: phones, router and modem, a radio.
- Comfort and preservation: refrigerator, fans, lights, laptop.
For a ranked approach, see What to Power First in a Blackout: Priority List and Wattage Budget.
A note on medical devices
If anyone relies on powered medical equipment, do not treat a consumer power station as a substitute for medical advice. Talk with the prescribing clinician and the device maker about runtime needs and backup options, and ask your utility about medical-priority registration. See How to Keep Medical Devices Running in a Power Outage and Can a Jackery run an oxygen concentrator?.
Step 2: Build a Wattage and Watt-Hour Budget
Two numbers matter. Watts measure how much a device draws at once. Watt-hours (Wh) measure how much energy it uses over time, and they determine how long a battery lasts.
- Find each device's wattage on its label or manual. A plug-in watt meter gives a real reading.
- Note any startup surge on motor devices such as refrigerators and pumps. Surge can be several times running watts.
- Estimate hours of use per day.
- Multiply watts by hours to get Wh per day.
- Add about 15 to 20 percent for conversion losses. This is a common rule of thumb, not a Jackery-specific figure.
Example, using typical ballpark figures that you should replace with your own readings:
| Device | Typical running watts (approx.) | Hours | Approx. Wh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi router and modem | 15–25 | 12 | 180–300 |
| Phone charging (2 phones) | 10–20 | 3 | 30–60 |
| LED lights (3 bulbs) | 15–30 | 6 | 90–180 |
| Laptop | 40–65 | 6 | 240–390 |
Your numbers will differ. Measure when you can.
Step 3: Match the Budget to a Power Station
Check two specs on any model: battery capacity (Wh) and rated AC output (W), plus its stated surge rating. Your total simultaneous watts must stay under the output rating, and your daily Wh must fit within capacity with some margin. Specs vary by model and change over time, so confirm current details on the official Jackery site instead of relying on a third-party list.
Know the limits
- Heating devices draw a lot of power. Resistive space heaters usually exceed what a portable station can sustain for long. See Can a Jackery run a space heater?.
- Gas furnace blowers are more feasible, but depend on the blower's running and startup draw, and on how it is wired. See Can a Jackery run a gas furnace during a power outage?. Hardwired equipment should be connected only by a licensed electrician.
- Well pumps have high startup surges and are often hardwired at 240V. See Can a Jackery run a well pump?.
- Window air conditioners vary widely in draw. See Can a Jackery run a window air conditioner?.
Step 4: Plan for Recharging
A battery is a finite supply. For outages longer than a day, you need a way to refill it. Options include a car charger, a generator, or solar panels. Solar output depends on weather, panel size, and sun angle, so expect less than the rated figure. Some units can run devices while charging; see Can you use a Jackery while it is charging? for how that works and what to check.
Recommended for youWhat to Power First in a Blackout: Priority List and Wattage BudgetStep 5: Set Up Before the Outage
- Charge the station fully and check it every few months. Batteries self-discharge slowly.
- Store it indoors at moderate temperatures, following the manual.
- Label cords and keep them with the unit.
- Test your plan with a short, planned run to see whether your estimates hold.
- Keep a printed list of priorities and wattages.
For connectivity specifics, see How to Stay Online in a Blackout.
Safety Basics
- Never run a gas generator indoors or in a garage. Carbon monoxide is deadly.
- Do not plug a power station into a wall outlet to feed the house wiring (backfeeding).
- Do not use cords that are damaged or undersized.
- Whole-home hookups need a licensed electrician and a proper transfer switch.
Honest Tradeoffs
- Portable station: quiet, no fumes, simple. Limited energy and output.
- Generator: can run longer and carry bigger loads, but needs fuel, noise tolerance, and outdoor placement.
- Whole-home battery or standby system: broad coverage, but higher cost and professional installation.
We have not run every scenario here ourselves, so treat the numbers above as planning estimates, not guarantees.
Choosing a Model
Once you have your budget, compare models against it. For households with health or accessibility needs, start with Best Jackery for Seniors and Medical Backup: Simple, Quiet and Reliable Picks. Confirm current capacity, output, and pricing on the official Jackery site before buying.
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