Official U.S. EIA Form 861 Grid Data · 33,791 ZIP Codes Mapped

Check Your ZIP Code Power Outage Risk & Exact Generator Size

See how many hours of blackouts your local electric utility averages per year, how much comes from severe storms, and calculate the exact backup wattage your home needs.

🔥 Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2026 Power Station Deals

Winter storm season is here. Power stations and generators see their biggest discounts of the year Nov 27 – Dec 1. Size yours with the wattage calculator, then check live prices:

EcoFlow DELTA 2 / DELTA 3
Fridge + Wi-Fi + lights for a short outage
See today's Black Friday price →
Jackery Explorer 1000 / 2000
Quiet indoor-safe backup, solar-ready
See today's Black Friday price →
BLUETTI AC180 / AC200L
LiFePO4 battery, 3,000+ cycles
See today's Black Friday price →
Anker SOLIX C1000 / F2000
Fast recharge, UPS mode for routers & CPAP
See today's Black Friday price →
Dual-Fuel Generators (Champion, Westinghouse)
Whole-house + well pump, multi-day storms
See today's Black Friday price →

Prices change often; we earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you.

1

Enter Your ZIP Code

We check 3,113 U.S. electric utilities from federal EIA Form 861 filings to show your utility's real annual blackout hours (SAIDI) and outage frequency (SAIFI).

2

Check Your Appliances

Use the 1-click Wattage Sizer to total up your refrigerator, gas furnace blower, basement sump pump, well pump, AC, and Wi-Fi—including motor startup surges.

3

Match Your Backup Tier

See whether your grid calls for an indoor-safe LiFePO4 battery station (for short outages) or a dual-fuel home backup generator + 30A transfer switch.

3,113U.S. Electric Utilities
33,791U.S. ZIP Codes Mapped
4.7 hrs/yrU.S. Median State Outage Time
100% FreeFederal EIA-861 Grid Data
Interactive Appliance Load Calculator

⚡ Home Backup Wattage Sizer for Your Home

Check the appliances you need to keep running during a blackout. We calculate your continuous running watts, highest motor starting surge, and 20% NEC safety headroom automatically.

Live Sizing Result (+20% Headroom)
3,000 W
Recommended Minimum Generator / Inverter Rating
1,250 WContinuous Running
2,250 WPeak Motor Surge
Recommended Tier

Select your appliances on the left.

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We'll notify you when annual U.S. EIA Form 861 blackout data updates for your utility or before peak winter/summer storm seasons.

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Browse Power Outage Risk & Utility Reliability by State

Alabama4.7h/yr · Grade C →Alaska5.5h/yr · Grade C →American Samoa4.7h/yr · Grade C →Arizona1.5h/yr · Grade A →Arkansas8.5h/yr · Grade D →California4.7h/yr · Grade C →Colorado4.3h/yr · Grade C →Connecticut2.6h/yr · Grade B →Delaware1.9h/yr · Grade A →District of Columbia0.5h/yr · Grade A →Florida22.0h/yr · Grade F →Georgia20.5h/yr · Grade F →Guam14.8h/yr · Grade F →Hawaii5.3h/yr · Grade C →Idaho3.9h/yr · Grade B →Illinois2.6h/yr · Grade B →Indiana5.2h/yr · Grade C →Iowa2.8h/yr · Grade B →Kansas4.8h/yr · Grade C →Kentucky10.8h/yr · Grade D →Louisiana12.1h/yr · Grade F →Maine29.1h/yr · Grade F →Maryland2.0h/yr · Grade A →Massachusetts1.7h/yr · Grade A →Michigan7.8h/yr · Grade D →Minnesota3.7h/yr · Grade B →Mississippi9.5h/yr · Grade D →Missouri3.7h/yr · Grade B →Montana5.9h/yr · Grade C →Nebraska10.7h/yr · Grade D →Nevada2.6h/yr · Grade B →New Hampshire15.4h/yr · Grade F →New Jersey2.9h/yr · Grade B →New Mexico4.6h/yr · Grade C →New York3.7h/yr · Grade B →North Carolina24.0h/yr · Grade F →North Dakota1.7h/yr · Grade A →Northern Mariana Islands14.8h/yr · Grade F →Ohio8.5h/yr · Grade D →Oklahoma4.5h/yr · Grade C →Oregon9.8h/yr · Grade D →Pennsylvania5.6h/yr · Grade C →Puerto Rico73.6h/yr · Grade F →Rhode Island1.7h/yr · Grade A →South Carolina52.3h/yr · Grade F →South Dakota1.4h/yr · Grade A →Tennessee4.6h/yr · Grade C →Texas21.2h/yr · Grade F →U.S. Virgin Islands14.8h/yr · Grade F →Utah2.0h/yr · Grade A →Vermont11.6h/yr · Grade D →Virginia7.0h/yr · Grade C →Washington10.4h/yr · Grade D →West Virginia19.4h/yr · Grade F →Wisconsin4.4h/yr · Grade C →Wyoming2.3h/yr · Grade B →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know what size backup generator or battery power station my house needs?

Add up the continuous running watts of the appliances you want to run at the same time (such as your refrigerator, gas furnace blower fan, sump pump, Wi-Fi router, and lights), add the highest single motor starting surge among those appliances, and add 20% safety headroom. Our interactive Wattage Sizer on every ZIP page calculates both running and starting surge watts in one click.

Why does my natural gas or propane furnace stop working during a power outage?

Even though natural gas or propane fuels the burner, a modern forced-air furnace requires 600 to 800 watts of 120V household electricity (and 1,400 to 1,800 watts of startup surge) to run its blower fan motor, draft inducer, hot-surface igniter, and circuit board.

Should I buy a LiFePO4 portable power station or a dual-fuel gas/propane generator?

If your utility's average outage duration (SAIDI/CAIDI on your ZIP report) is under 3 to 4 hours, or you live in an apartment/condo, a 1,000Wh–2,000Wh LiFePO4 battery power station (like EcoFlow, Jackery, or Anker) is 100% indoor-safe with zero fumes. For multi-hour or multi-day severe storm blackouts, well pumps, and whole-home transfer switches, choose a 7,500W–10,500W dual-fuel portable generator.

Where does your power outage and electric utility reliability data come from?

All outage duration (SAIDI), frequency (SAIFI), restoration time (CAIDI), and residential electricity rates come directly from official U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Form 861 annual filings and U.S. Department of Energy OpenEI utility service territory tables.