Planning backup power for a Canadian winter outage
The best backup power plan starts with a list of what must keep running, such as heat, a fridge, communications and any medical equipment, and then matches a generator, a battery or a portable power station to that list. In winter the plan also has to keep the house from freezing and keep everyone safe from carbon monoxide.
What should you keep running during an outage?
Write the list before shopping. For most households it includes a fridge and freezer, a furnace blower or other heat source, a few lights, a phone charger and router, and any medical device. A well pump, a sump pump or a garage door opener may belong on it too. Next to each item write its power draw, which is on the appliance label or in the manual.
The list drives everything else. A household that only needs a phone, a router and a few lights can manage with a portable power station, while one that wants the furnace, the freezer and a sump pump needs a larger system. The winter home energy checklist is a good companion for the cold-season side of planning.
How do you keep warm and safe if the heat fails?
Heating is the winter risk. A gas furnace needs only a little electricity for its blower and controls, so many homes can stay warm on modest backup power. Electric heat and heat pumps draw far more, and a battery for them needs to be large. If you cannot heat the whole house, close off a room, hang blankets over windows and stay together in one space. Our guide to a winter heating emergency covers the practical steps.
Never run a generator, a barbecue, a camp stove or a vehicle inside a garage or the house. Carbon monoxide is odourless and lethal. A portable generator belongs outdoors, well away from windows, doors and vents, and a working carbon monoxide alarm in the house is essential. If the alarm sounds or anyone feels dizzy or ill, go outside and call emergency services.
What are the main backup options?
Five choices cover most homes.
- Portable power station. A battery with outlets, quiet and safe indoors, good for small loads and short outages.
- Portable generator. Lower cost per watt, runs as long as it has fuel, must be used outdoors and needs a safe way to connect.
- Standby generator. Permanently installed and automatic, often fuelled by natural gas or propane, with a higher installed cost.
- Home battery. Installed in the house, switches over automatically and can be recharged by solar. See home battery backup.
- Small UPS. A short-term supply for a router or computer, covered in uninterruptible power systems.
A fuller comparison is in generator versus battery backup and in solar generator versus battery backup.
How do you connect backup power properly?
Connecting a generator to a house by plugging it into a wall outlet, sometimes called backfeeding, is dangerous and illegal in many places. It can energise the utility lines and hurt line workers. The safe routes are extension cords to individual appliances or a transfer switch or interlock installed by a licensed electrician, which isolates the house from the grid. A permit is normally needed.
A battery or standby system installed to code handles the isolation automatically. If solar panels are part of the plan, remember that a standard grid-tied array shuts off during an outage; solar panels in a power outage explains what is needed for them to keep running.
What else belongs in an outage plan?
Keep the fridge and freezer doors shut. Commonly cited food safety guidance says a closed fridge keeps food safe for roughly four hours and a full freezer for about two days, and the Government of Canada food safety pages have the current advice. Keep flashlights, spare batteries, drinking water and a battery-powered or crank radio. Charge phones and power banks when a storm is forecast, and know how to open an automatic garage door by hand.
Test the plan once. Run the generator under load or switch the battery to backup mode before the weather arrives, and refresh fuel on a schedule. A home that already stores heat, as Drake Landing did with its borehole thermal store, still needs electricity for pumps and controls, which is a reminder that heat and power backup are separate questions.
Quick answers
What is the best backup power for a home in Canada?
It depends on what must keep running and for how long. A power station suits small loads, a battery suits automatic cover for selected circuits, and a generator suits long outages or big loads.
Can I run a generator in my garage?
No. Generators produce carbon monoxide and must be run outdoors, well away from windows, doors and vents. Even an open garage door is not safe enough.
How long does food last in a fridge during a power outage?
Commonly cited guidance is about four hours for a closed fridge and about two days for a full freezer. Check the Government of Canada food safety pages for the current advice.
Do I need an electrician to connect a generator?
To power the house wiring through a transfer switch or interlock, yes. Plugging a generator into a wall outlet is dangerous, and a licensed electrician should install the safe connection.