Home Backup Power in Canada: Sizing a Portable Power Station for Outages and Winter Storms
The same installer-style sizing method we use for US homes, adapted for Canada.
Step 1: size it
Use the power station size calculator and the fridge runtime calculator. As a rough guide, about 1,000 Wh covers phones, Wi-Fi and lights for a day; keeping a fridge running for a full day as well usually takes about 2,000–3,000 Wh, depending on the fridge.
Step 2: local things to check
- Cold matters: lithium batteries generally should not be charged below freezing. Keep the unit indoors in a heated space during winter outages and check the operating range in the manual.
- Furnace blowers and well pumps are common Canadian backup loads. Both have a starting surge, so check the surge figure in the calculator.
- Prices and availability differ from the US. Always buy the Canadian version from a Canadian store so the warranty and support are local.
Step 3: buy the local version
Official stores for Canada:
Model line-ups, prices and promotions differ by country, so we do not list prices here. Check the local store for current details. Some links on this site may become affiliate links; we will always disclose this.
Frequently asked questions
What size power station do I need in Canada?
List what you need to run, multiply each appliance’s watts by the hours you will use it, add them up, divide by about 0.85 for inverter losses and multiply by the days you want to cover. Our calculator does this for you. The power station also needs enough output (W) for everything that runs at once, plus the starting surge of the largest motor.
Can I use a US power station in Canada?
Canada uses the same 120 V / 60 Hz grid and Type A/B plugs as the US, so North American models and our calculators apply directly.
Are the calculators accurate outside the US?
Yes. The math (watts × hours) does not depend on voltage. The default appliance wattages are typical estimates, so replace them with the numbers on your own appliance labels.