Generators Can Be a Lifesaver for Older Adults. But Should You Go Gas or Electric?

Here's what to know when in the market for a power station to keep your essential devices running when bad weather hits

Sal Vaglica,

Updated July 08, 2025

AARP

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Published January 16, 2025

/ Updated July 08, 2025

A graphic illustration shows a blue A-frame house, covered in condensation bubbles, with an image of a fire overlaid up top. The house in front of a multi-colored circular background, split diagonally.

When extreme weather hits, having a generator can be a lifesaver for older adults.

AARP (Getty Images, 4)

Losing electricity for an extended period of time can be a lingering nuisance for some, but it can turn life threatening for older Americans. A generator can help. It can be an important part of your disaster preparedness kit to keep food at safe temperatures, medical equipment running and your phone and computer charged.

"Power disruption caused by a disaster isn't just inconvenient, it can be dangerous for the health and well-being of residents who may have complex needs," says Stephanie Fox, national spokesperson for the American Red Cross, who recommends making a list of the essential devices you have that rely on electricity such as IV pumps or electric wheelchairs.

But while most people are familiar with gas generators, there is another kind on the market: rechargeable electric power generators. Here is what you need to know to make the best decision for you.

First, know the difference

Electric power stations are rechargeable generators that you can recharge from a wall outlet or portable solar panels. If you've made it through the day by recharging your smartphone using a USB cord tethered to a deck of card-sized battery, a portable power station is a similar concept, only bigger and more capable. Gas generators burn fossil fuel while electric ones act more or less like a giant battery made up of small cells says Prasad Enjeti, chair of the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University,

Rechargeable power stations can be used in your house. Gas can’t

Because they run on batteries, electric generators don't produce emissions, so they're safe to use inside and even next to a bed. Gas versions must be kept outside because they produce carbon monoxide when they're running. Enjeti agrees that not having to worry about carbon monoxide poisoning is a benefit of using an electric generator, but so is having it closer to the device you need to power. "Closer to the point of use also minimizes the length of electric wiring that can also reduce losses and fire hazards," he says.

portable power station with mobile phone plugged in to charge

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Smaller sizes are easy to carry, but larger ones power more devices

Electric power stations range from smaller versions (the size of a shoebox, weighing about 20 pounds) which can handle charging a phone, laptop or CPAP machine a few times during an outage, to massive towers on wheels (70 to 100 pounds on wheels) that can run an entire kitchen or floor of a house, when wired by an electrician. Extension cords can help run power to smaller devices on a second floor but if you need power in a bedroom, hauling 100 pounds up a flight of stairs is a two-person job. "In general one should minimize extension cord usage," Enjeti says. "Generally with higher power appliances — such as microwave, toaster oven — it's preferable to be plugged directly into the unit outlet."

The smallest inverter-style gas generator — the kind you might take camping or see powering a food truck — can weigh about 60 pounds. Larger gas generators on wheels can weigh about 115 pounds, empty, while providing up to 3,600 watts of power The equivalent of that in an electric generator can weigh between 70 and 100 pounds on wheels.

The sweet spot for emergency preparedness is electric power stations that are large enough to run essential equipment, yet are easy enough to move or wheel around.

Gas generators are cheaper

You will pay more for an electric power station than gas-burning versions, but electric power stations don’t require any maintenance: no oil to change, gasoline to stabilize, or spark plugs to replace.

A basic gas-powered generator capable of producing 3,000 watts — which is plenty of power to run a refrigerator — can cost as little as $310, a comparable electric power station is about $2,050. That's roughly six times more expensive.

Smaller electric power stations, around $200, have enough power for smaller electronics such as a laptop or a CPAP machine. The largest systems can power an entire floor of a house or even a small home and cost several thousands of dollars to purchase, plus the cost of hiring an electrician to wire the system to your home's breaker to ensure a smooth transition to backup power when the grid goes down.

Electric is quieter than gas

Electric power stations are quiet enough that it’s unlikely to keep even the most sensitive sleeper awake. You might, at most, hear the tiny internal fan running. Gas power stations are loud — you're likely to hear it even from a second floor.

"Electric generators are virtually silent, do not emit any gasses and can be in a bedroom," says Enjeti. "Gas powered units are noisy and need to be outside with wiring to access power inside a home." A gas generator might reach 61 decibels whereas an electric version is closer to 40 — about the same noise as a quiet library — according to Tara Parhizkar, adjunct professor at the Samueli School of Engineering at the University of California.

The runtime with gas is longer

After the higher cost, runtime is an electric power station's biggest weakness. During most outages, buying fuel from a gas station or keeping extra on hand is an option that keeps a generator running indefinitely. It can be difficult to match a gas system's runtime unless you pair a portable power station with a supplemental battery or solar panels that you unfurl in the yard.

Electric power stations can recharge in as little as an hour when plugged into a wall so you can "refuel" at a neighbor's house. Solar panels provide free energy but they can be slow to recharge, taking up to 12 hours in some cases. The cord that connects those panels to the power station is usually about 10 feet long so you might have to carry the portable power station outside to recharge it.

Be ready for some math for both

When you use a rechargeable electric generator, you need to make sure you have one that provides enough power.

Here's how Enjeti sizes these units: For each piece of essential equipment you need to power during an outage, find its wattage. Once you've added all those wattages up you have an idea of how much power you need per hour to run everything. Multiple that number by 24 and you know how many watts per hour you need for an entire day. Most devices have the wattage listed on it somewhere. If you can't find it on the device, it is likely to be in the owner’s manual or on the manufacturer's website.

How to determine watts and watt-hours

Some appliances might not list the wattage, and few list watt-hours, so it’s helpful to have two calculations on hand:

To determine watts: Multiply the volts (v) x amperes (a)

To determine watt-hours: Multiple the watts x 24 hours, to determine the watt-hours required to run the device for an entire day.

For gas generators, you'll still want to add up all the watts but watt-hours is less of a concern because you will refill with gas periodically. Generally, a gas generator of up to 3,000 watts is for small appliances and lights, double that if you want to run larger appliances like a refrigerator.

Important to keep in mind: Whatever you plug into the power station can’t exceed the device’s total wattage. So definitely check the device for its wattage amount.

User friendly details to consider

Wheels and a luggage-style handle can make moving a generator around easier no matter what kind you get.

For electric, a digital display takes the guesswork out of knowing how much power is left and the numbers on it are dynamic, so they’ll change in real time as you plug and unplug devices so you always know how much runtime you have left.

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Sal Vaglica is a New York-based journalist who covers food, kitchen gadgets, travel, lawn and garden, and all things DIY-related. His work has appeared in This Old House, Men's Health and The Wall Street Journal.