Generator vs Power Station Cost Calculator

Compare what a gas generator and a portable power station cost you over the years, and check what each needs to get you through your longest outage.

1What you'll run in an outage

Refrigerator (full-size, ENERGY STAR) Quantity: Refrigerator (full-size, ENERGY STAR) Running watts: Refrigerator (full-size, ENERGY STAR)W Hours per day: Refrigerator (full-size, ENERGY STAR)h
Wi-Fi router + modem Quantity: Wi-Fi router + modem Running watts: Wi-Fi router + modemW Hours per day: Wi-Fi router + modemh
Phone charging (USB) Quantity: Phone charging (USB) Running watts: Phone charging (USB)W Hours per day: Phone charging (USB)h
LED light bulb (60 W equivalent) Quantity: LED light bulb (60 W equivalent) Running watts: LED light bulb (60 W equivalent)W Hours per day: LED light bulb (60 W equivalent)h

2Your outages

Hours without power a yearUS average: 11 in 2024, a big hurricane year; about 2 in years without major storms (EIA)

Longest outage to plan for (hours)

Years to compare

3Gas generator

ModelPick the closest size. Other brands' inverter generators burn similar fuel for their size.

1,800 W rated · 2,200 W max · 0.95 gal tank · 3.2–8.1 hours per tank

Price ($)Honda's list price, September 2026. Enter what you'd pay.

Gas ($/gallon)US average, late September 2026 (EIA)

Upkeep a year ($)Our estimate: 2 oil changes and fuel stabilizer

4Power station

Model

1,024 Wh · 1,800 W continuous · 3,600 W surge

Price ($)Default: EcoFlow's list price for the DELTA 3 Plus, September 2026. Enter what you'd pay, plus any solar panels.

Electricity (¢/kWh)US home average, July 2026 (EIA)

Which costs less

Power station saves $553over 5 years at 11 hours without power a year: $800 for the power station vs $1,353 for the generator

Note On one charge the power station lasts about 11 hours, short of the 24 hours you're planning for. Budget for a bigger battery or solar panels (see below).

Costs over 5 years
Cost	Generator	Power station
Price	$1,199	$799
Gas or electricity a year	$5.78	$0.21
Upkeep a year	$25	$0
Total over 5 years	$1,353	$800

Gas: 1.3 gal a year, at about 0.12 gal an hour. Electricity: 1.2 kWh a year to recharge.

Your longest outage: 24 hours

GeneratorNeeds about 2.8 gal of gas (3 tankfuls, $12.61). Have it on hand before the outage.
Power stationLasts about 11 hours on one charge, short of 24 hours. Covering it takes about 2,296 Wh of battery, or solar panels to recharge.

Models that last 24 hours · Solar charging calculator

Can each one run your list?

Honda EU2200i: runningOK

192 W of 1,800 W · rated output

Honda EU2200i: startingOK

1,242 W of 2,200 W · maximum output

EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus: runningOK

192 W of 1,800 W · continuous output

EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus: startingOK

1,242 W of 3,600 W · surge rating

Safety Run a generator outside only, at least 20 feet from the house, never in a garage, porch or carport, and keep battery CO alarms on every floor (CPSC). A power station makes no exhaust and can run indoors.

Your average load (81 W) is under a quarter of this generator's rating, so we used its quarter-load fuel figure. Makers don't publish lower-load figures, and real use at very light loads may be somewhat lower.

View at EcoFlow

We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. It never changes our numbers, and every model in our database is included whether or not it pays us. Learn more.

Which costs lessDetails

How the comparison works

For each option we add the purchase price to what it costs to run during the hours you're without power, over the years you choose.

Generator = price + years × (gallons per hour × outage hours × gas price + upkeep) Power station = price + years × (battery Wh used ÷ 90% × electricity price)

Generator fuel comes from each maker's published run time per tank. Honda lists two points for each model, a quarter load and full rated load, and we draw a straight line between them for your average load. Below a quarter load we keep the quarter-load figure: Honda doesn't publish lower loads, and a generator burns fuel just to keep running, so real use at very light loads may be somewhat lower.

Recharging a power station assumes about 90% of the electricity from your outlet ends up in the battery. Battery use includes the inverter losses explained in How we calculate.

Your longest outage shows how much gas the generator needs on hand and whether the power station's battery lasts that long without recharging.

Default numbers and sources

Gas: $4.48 a gallon, the US average for regular in the week of September 21, 2026 (EIA).
Electricity: 18.3¢ per kWh, the US residential average for July 2026 (EIA).
Outages: 11 hours a year, the average US customer's total in 2024, when hurricanes caused the most hours without power in a decade. Without major events, it's about 2 hours (EIA).
Generator fuel and prices: Honda's spec pages for the EU2200i, EU3200i and EU7000iS: run time per tank and list price, checked September 2026.
Generator upkeep: $25 a year is our estimate for two oil changes (Honda's EU2200i owner's manual calls for one every 6 months or 100 hours) plus fuel stabilizer.
Power station price: EcoFlow's list price for the DELTA 3 Plus in September 2026. Sale prices are often lower.

What the money doesn't show

How long each keeps going. A generator runs as long as you have gas. A power station runs as long as its battery lasts, unless you recharge it with solar panels.
Where it can run. Generators make carbon monoxide. The CPSC says to run them outside only, at least 20 feet from the house, never in a garage, porch or carport. Power stations make no exhaust and can run indoors.
Noise and upkeep. Generators need oil changes and fresh fuel. Power stations are much quieter and need little care beyond keeping them charged.

Questions

Is a power station cheaper than a generator?

It depends on what you pay for each and how many hours a year you're without power. A power station costs cents to recharge from the wall, while a generator burns gas every hour it runs and needs oil changes. With only a few outage hours a year, the purchase prices decide it; with many, gas and upkeep add up. A power station only lasts as long as its battery unless you add solar, so also check that it covers your longest outage.

How much gas does a generator use per hour?

Honda's EU2200i runs 8.1 hours on its 0.95-gallon tank at a quarter load (about 0.12 gal an hour) and 3.2 hours at its full 1,800 W rating (about 0.3 gal an hour). The larger EU7000iS uses about 0.32 gal an hour at a quarter load and 0.8 gal at its 5,500 W rating.

How much does it cost to run a generator for a day?

At a quarter load (450 W), Honda's EU2200i burns about 2.8 gal of gas in 24 hours. That's about $12.61 at $4.48 a gallon, the US average in late September 2026 (EIA). Bigger generators and heavier loads cost more.

Can I run a generator in the garage with the door open?

No. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says never to run a portable generator inside a home, garage, basement, crawlspace or shed. Run it outside only, at least 20 feet from the house and not on a porch or in a carport, with the exhaust pointed away from doors and windows. Power stations make no exhaust, so they can run indoors.

Generator vs Power Station Cost Calculator

1What you'll run in an outage

2Your outages

3Gas generator

4Power station

How the comparison works

Default numbers and sources

What the money doesn't show

Questions

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