What size generator do I need to work from home during an outage?

Q: What size generator do I need to work from home during an outage?

Plan on at least 1850 running watts and 1550 watts of surge capacity. That covers 1460W of running load plus the largest start-up surge, with 25% headroom.

Keeping a home office alive is a small-generator job — the whole loadout is lighter than a single space heater. The coffee maker is the biggest thing on this list, which says a lot.

The load

Desktop PC + monitor — 350W running, 400W starting
Wi-Fi router + modem — 15W running
Laptop — 65W running
LED lights (per room) — 30W running
Box fan — 100W running, 150W starting
Coffee maker (drip) — 900W running

SIZING PLATE6 LOADS · +25% HEADROOM

Total running watts

1,460 W

Peak (largest start)

1,510 W

Buy at least

1,850 W rated

Look for ~1,850W running / 1,550W surge or better.

Field note: A small inverter generator is ideal here: quiet enough for calls and clean power for electronics. Brew coffee before joining the meeting — that 900W spike is short but real.

Right size: Mid-size inverter (3,500W / 4,000W surge)

Typical price $600-1,400 · e.g. Champion 4250 open-frame inverter, Westinghouse iGen4500, Generac GP3500iO

RV 13,500 BTU AC (especially with soft-start), fridge + window AC, storm essentials for smaller homes. The sweet spot of quiet, portability, and real capacity for most first-time buyers.

See current prices on Amazon

One size up: Mid-size portable (6,500W / 8,100W surge)

Typical price $700-1,200 · e.g. Westinghouse WGen6500, Champion 6250, Generac GP6500

Storm essentials with margin: fridge, freezer, sump pump, furnace fan, well pump (240V models), lights and electronics together. Louder open-frame design; electronics prefer models with THD under 5% or an inverter.

See current prices on Amazon

Adjust for your setup

Different fridge? Bigger AC? Uncheck and re-check below — the plate recomputes live.

This site earns commissions from qualifying purchases made through links to Amazon and other retailers, at no extra cost to you. Wattage figures are typical estimates — actual draw varies by model. Always verify against your appliance's nameplate, and consult a licensed electrician for any panel or hardwired connections.