Guides › Apartment backup power

Backup power for apartments and renters

By WhatStaysOn · Updated October 12, 2026

Why a battery is the apartment answer

A fuel generator is off the table in most apartments, and for good reason: the CDC says generators must run outside, at least 20 feet from doors, windows and vents — a balcony doesn’t qualify. You also can’t wire anything into the building’s electrical system, and you shouldn’t try: plugging a generator or station into a wall outlet to “backfeed” the apartment is dangerous to you and to utility workers.

A portable power station avoids all of that. It’s a battery with outlets: charge it from the wall while the power’s on, then plug what matters directly into it when the power goes out. It produces no exhaust, and needs no installation or landlord sign-off.

What it can realistically run

Notice the router line: on its own it runs for over a day, but not as long as its tiny 10W draw suggests, because the station’s inverter uses power just to stay on. If your router or modem runs on a 12V adapter, powering it from the station’s DC port avoids most of that loss. Phones and laptops charge more efficiently from USB-C ports than from an AC charger plugged into the station.

The fridge decision

The fridge is what turns a small, light station into a big, heavy one. Running a fridge, Wi-Fi and lights for 12 hours takes about 1,800Wh of station — the 2,000Wh class, at 50–62 lb. Many apartment dwellers choose differently:

• Keep the fridge closed and protect food on time, not power. FoodSafety.gov says a closed fridge keeps food safe for up to 4 hours, and a full freezer about 48 hours. For short outages, that may be all you need.
• Run the fridge in stretches. A few hours on the station, a few hours closed, with a fridge thermometer to keep it under 40°F.
• Prioritize communications and light overnight, and the fridge during the day.

The fridge guide shows how to get your own fridge’s number from its energy label.

Using a station safely indoors

• Battery stations don’t produce combustion exhaust or carbon monoxide in normal use, which is why they’re suitable indoors — but they do get warm. Keep the vents clear, don’t enclose the station in a cabinet, and keep it away from heaters and direct sun.
• Charge it where there’s a working smoke alarm — Anker’s indoor-use guidance makes the same point.
• Plug appliances straight into the station. Avoid daisy-chained power strips and thin extension cords for a fridge.
• Don’t plug the station into a wall outlet to power the apartment’s wiring. Plug appliances into the station instead.
• Keep it charged: top it up every few months, and before storm season.

What a plug-in battery can’t do

It can’t run hard-wired things — central heating controls, built-in ovens, ceiling lights on a wall switch, or the building’s elevators and water pumps. It won’t run a space heater for long: a 1,500W heater running on high would empty a 1,000Wh station in well under an hour. And it won’t power medical equipment reliably unless you’ve tested it; read the CPAP guide first if that applies to you.

Try the planner with apartment essentials, then add or remove the fridge and watch what changes.

Sources

• CDC: Preventing carbon monoxide poisoning — generators only outdoors, 20 ft from openings
• CPSC: Portable generator safety alert (PDF) — never backfeed through a wall outlet
• Anker SOLIX: Can you use a portable power station indoors? — manufacturer guidance on indoor use
• FoodSafety.gov: Food safety during a power outage — fridge and freezer safe times