Determining the appropriate generator size depends on the specific items you intend to power in your house. If you only need to supply power to essential items, a smaller generator should be enough power compared to trying to provide electricity to the entire property.
There are two approaches to consider. First, you can assess the power requirements of the distribution board in your house, which typically operates at a voltage of 230V and has a capacity of 100 Amps. Covering this power demand would require a generator with a capacity of 23kW (230V x 100A = 23,000W = 23kW), which can supply electricity to the entire house.
Alternatively, if you only wish to power specific essential items such as lights, fridge, freezer, kettle, television, internet, and microwave, we can estimate their power consumption as follows:
Lights: 60W (depending on the type and brand of bulbs)
Fridge: 200W (regular usage) – up to 600W during the cold cycle
Freezer: 80 – 200W (regular usage) – up to 600W during the cold cycle
Kettle: 3000W
Television: 200W (depending on the make and model)
Internet: 60W
Microwave: 1700W
You can also use our Power Calculator to estimate the continuous power rating you require.
Please note that the above power requirements are estimates. And it would be recommended to check your specific appliances for accurate power ratings.
For powering these essential items, based on the above estimates, we recommend a generator with a capacity between 5-7kW. However, it’s important to note that you may need to manage the usage of some high-powered appliances, such as the kettle and microwave. With a 5kW generator, if all the above appliances are run together this would cause it to overload and trip the circuit breaker. This means you could only use the kettle or the microwave to avoid this happening or choose a larger generator so that it can cover the total power being used.
