Do you need a portable power station for a power cut?

Published 28 October 2026

A portable power station is a big rechargeable battery with plug sockets. It uses no fuel and gives off no fumes, so it’s not a generator. Most homes can manage 3 days of power cut without one, and it’s an optional extra.

What a portable power station does in a power cut

It stores electricity while the power is on, and gives it back through ordinary sockets and USB ports when the power is off. You charge it from the mains beforehand. That’s the whole trick.

For 3 days, the basics are a torch, an FM radio and a power bank for the phone. Be Ready’s list doesn’t include a power station. It’s for people who want to run a few more things for longer: a lamp, the router, a laptop.

What size portable power station do you need?

Start with what you want to plug in, then read four things on the label.

• Capacity, in watt-hours (Wh). How much it holds. A bigger number lasts longer.
• Output, in watts (W). How much it can supply at once. The things you plug in must add up to less than this.
• Weight. You may need to carry it, and it will live in a cupboard. Try lifting the weight of a full shopping bag in each hand.
• Recharge time. How long it takes to fill from the mains. Look for the figure for a wall socket, not the best case with solar.

Small ones suit phones, a lamp and a router. Large ones can run more at once and for longer, but they’re heavier and cost more. Bigger isn’t better here. The right size is the smallest one that covers what you’d actually plug in.

Jackery Explorer 240 v2 or 1000 v2: which should you choose?

These are the two we list. Both are portable power stations from Jackery.

Our picks. Links go to Amazon, and we earn a small share if you buy.

• The Jackery Explorer 240 v2 on Amazon is the small one. It keeps phones, a lamp and the router going. Choose it if that’s all you want.
• The Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 on Amazon has about 4 times the capacity of the 240. Choose it if you work from home, or want to keep a fridge going for a while.

If you’re unsure, take the 240. You can always add more later, and it’s easier to lift.

Can you charge a power station with solar panels?

Sometimes. Only some panels suit some models, because each power station has its own limits on what it will accept. Check the panel’s connector and power against the solar input in your power station’s manual before you buy anything.

Be realistic about a British winter. Days are short and the sun is low, so solar will top up a power station slowly, not fill it. Think of it as a trickle charge. In a power cut in January, you’ll be relying on the charge you put in beforehand.

What a power station won’t do

It won’t heat a room for long. Heaters use a lot of power, and a power station runs out quickly. It’s no substitute for keeping warm, so read staying warm in a power cut.

If anyone relies on powered medical equipment, talk to their care team and join the Priority Services Register. Our page on medical equipment in a power cut has the steps. We don’t give advice on running medical equipment from a power station.

How to charge and store a power station safely

• Keep it charged. Top it up before the winter, and after you use it.
• Store it somewhere dry.
• Charge it on a hard surface, like a kitchen worktop, not on a bed or a sofa.

Buy a portable power station on Amazon

Both are optional. They’re not in the calculator or the checklist.

The rest of the power cut kit is on the light and power page.

Everything we recommend is on one page: the kit.