Fridge & freezer
Food is the biggest loss in an outage. A few hundred watts keeps it cold — priority one.
Keep the fridge, the phones and the lights alive — the priorities, the fast fixes, and the plan that ends the panic.
Food is the biggest loss in an outage. A few hundred watts keeps it cold — priority one.
Communication and safety. A power station or a small generator covers this for days.
Medical needs and extreme weather move this up. Know your must-run loads before it happens.
Don't try to run the whole house. Backup is about essentials, not business as usual.
For that deepest do-it-yourself layer, The clearest beginner plan we've tested is the Easy DIY Power Plan — parts list and step-by-step build for a small working generator. Honest verdict: a great weekend build and a real skill, not a magic utility-bill killer. Our full breakdown:
Garden beds, rainwater sizing, pantry days-of-supply and the weekly rhythm — free spreadsheet, straight to your inbox.