Backup power without the electrical-engineering lesson

What size power station do I need to keep my refrigerator and freezer running?

Start with what you actually need to keep cold and how long you want it covered. The battery size comes after that.

The short answer

If your main goal is protecting one refrigerator during a shorter outage, start around the 1 kWh class. If you want a refrigerator plus a separate freezer, internet and a few lights, the 2 kWh class gives substantially more breathing room. For multi-day outages, include a recharge plan instead of expecting one battery to last indefinitely.

Pick the situation that sounds like your house

Just keep the food cold

One typical refrigerator, plus occasional phone charging.

Start around 1 kWhBest for shorter outages and lower upfront cost.

Fridge + freezer + Wi-Fi

A refrigerator, separate freezer, router and a few small essentials.

Look around 2 kWhA practical sweet spot for household essentials.

I want a few days of resilience

Food, communications and essentials through a longer outage.

Choose expandable power + a recharge planSolar or another recharge source matters more as outages get longer.

Why ranges are more useful than fake precision: refrigerators do not draw the same amount of power every minute. Compressor cycling, room temperature, age, size, door opening and ice makers all change consumption. Check the EnergyGuide label on your actual appliance for a tighter estimate.

Three sensible starting points

These represent useful size classes and different tradeoffs. Prices change frequently, so check the manufacturer page for the current price.

LIGHTER 1 kWh OPTION

EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus

1,024Wh • 1,800W AC • 3,600W surge • 27.6 lb

Good fit when portability matters and the goal is primarily one refrigerator plus small essentials. It uses LFP cells, has a 5-year warranty and can accept substantial solar input.

See current EcoFlow price

PRACTICAL 2 kWh PICK

Jackery Explorer 2000 v2

2,042Wh • 2,200W AC • 4,400W surge • 39.5 lb

Roughly twice the stored energy of the 1 kWh class while remaining relatively movable for a 2 kWh unit. A strong fit for refrigerator/freezer duty plus other household essentials.

See current Jackery price

EXPANDABLE 2 kWh OPTION

BLUETTI AC200L

2,048Wh • 2,400W AC • 61.6 lb

Heavier, but attractive if expansion and high solar input matter more than carrying weight. BLUETTI lists up to 1,200W solar input and expansion with compatible battery packs.

See current BLUETTI price

How to make sure before you buy

Find the yellow EnergyGuide label. Look for your refrigerator's estimated annual kWh. That is far more useful than guessing from its size.

Add the second freezer if you have one. Two cold appliances can be a very different problem from one efficient modern refrigerator.

Decide what “enough” means. A battery for a six-hour outage is a different purchase from a system intended to ride through several days.

For long outages, solve recharging too. More battery capacity buys time. Solar, a generator, vehicle charging or restored grid power replenishes that time.

What the technical numbers actually mean

Wh (watt-hours) is basically the size of the fuel tank. More Wh generally means longer runtime. W (watts) tells you how much power the station can deliver at once. Surge matters because refrigerator compressors can briefly demand more power when they start.

One important reality check

A manufacturer's runtime example is useful for comparison, but it is not a promise about your refrigerator. Real refrigerators cycle on and off, and real-world conditions vary. Sizing with margin is safer than relying on an unrealistically precise runtime.