About HomeBackupCost
HomeBackupCost is an independent guide to sizing and pricing home backup power. We started it because battery and rebate information is scattered, out of date, and often written by sellers.
Who runs it
HomeBackupCost is run by Paul Graves in Dublin, Ohio. It is an independent site: no battery, generator, or solar company owns it or reviews pages before they go live. Read our sources and editorial policy and affiliate disclosure, or contact us.
How we research
We start from primary sources: manufacturer spec sheets, federal agencies (IRS, EIA, Ready.gov, CDC, CPSC, FDA), state energy offices, utilities, and established cost surveys such as EnergySage. Each figure is recorded with its source link and the date we checked it, and pages are re-checked when sources change.
Our rules
- Every number has a source link and an "as of" date.
- Estimates and assumptions are labeled Estimate.
- No invented data. We have no fake reviews, testimonials, or "X people used this today" counters. Where we lack a verified figure, we say so; for example, we have no generator prices or EV charger wattage yet.
- Third-party data is flagged. When a figure comes from a comparison site or contractor rather than the primary source, we note it.
- Brands can't pay to change results. Calculator matches are ranked by fit and then by price.
Calculator assumptions
- Assumption 0.85 usable-capacity factor: needed kWh = energy used ÷ 0.85, to cover inverter losses and reserve capacity.
- Assumption Typical running watts are the midpoint of each sourced min–max range.
- Assumption Default hours per day, for example 8 h for a fridge (compressor on about 1/3 of the time), 8 h for a furnace fan, and 4.8 h for a sump pump (20% runtime in wet weather). Users can edit all of these.
- Peak watts = the sum of maximum running watts + the single largest start-up surge.
- Installed cost = capacity × EnergySage's $1,130–$1,159 per kWh.
- Power station prices are the lowest (sale) price listed in our sources for October 2026.
Sources
| Data | Source |
|---|---|
| Appliance running and starting watts | Champion Power Equipment generator wattage chart |
| Installed battery cost | EnergySage |
| Heat pump installed cost | EnergySage |
| Power station specs and prices | Manufacturer pages and comparison sites (us.ecoflow.com, homegridhq.com, homebatteryreport.com, powerstations.reviews, SDG&E QPL) |
| State HOMES/HEAR status | NASEO Home Energy Rebates tracker |
| Federal tax credit status | IRS OBBB FAQ |
| State and utility programs | State agencies and utilities, linked on each state page |
Last full data review: 2026-10-25. Found an error? See Contact for how to report it.
Known gaps
- EV Level 2 charging and medical devices: no verified wattage yet. Use your device's nameplate.
- BLUETTI Apex 300 specs are not captured yet.
- No generator prices yet.
- Specs for expansion batteries are not included.
- Rebate details are verified for six states so far; other states show NASEO status only.