Consider adding a home power station to your outage toolbox

Courtesy: Great River Energy (GRE)

Batteries, flashlights, and bottled water are all traditional items kept in an emergency kit to potential outages, but adding a portable power station can help keep you connected until electricity is restored.

More convenient and affordable than a generator, rechargeable power stations can serve as a handy backup during short-term power outages. They also require minimal maintenance and are safe to use both indoors and outdoors.

Depending on the model and its capacity, you’d be able to power several types of devices simultaneously—such as laptops, smartphones, tablets—and even small appliances, like portable heaters and fans, allowing you to stay comfortable as well as up to date on outage information from your local cooperative.

Larger portable power stations are even able to keep a refrigerator running for hours, ensuring that your groceries stay fresh while waiting for the lights to come back on.

Charging these types of power stations is easy: The simplest way is to plug them into any 120V wall outlet. This works the same as charging a laptop or phone and is relatively fast, usually taking four to eight hours for a full recharge depending on its capacity.

The portable nature of these power stations also makes them a great tool for off-grid outdoor adventures such as camping and road trips. Many of them can also be recharged by plugging into a 12V car, truck, or RV, letting you top up the charge as you drive or travel.

To make sure you’re set up for success if the power does go out, here are a few tips to keep in mind when shopping for a portable power station:

• Make a list of which devices and/or appliances you would want to power during an outage.

• Determine the total wattage needed by adding up the wattage of the devices.

• Consider the capacity of the portable power station to determine how long it can run these devices. 

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