Running a fridge in a blackout with a power station: how long it lasts
Divide the kWh figure on your fridge's Energy Rating label by 365 to get its daily use, then compare that with the station's battery after losses. A 1,024Wh station runs a typical 400 kWh-a-year fridge for roughly 19 hours, and for days if you run it in shifts.
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A 1,024Wh power station runs a typical household fridge for somewhere between 15 and 25 hours straight, depending on how efficient the fridge is. Run it in shifts with the door shut and the same battery stretches across two or three days. To work out your own number, start with the kWh-a-year figure on the fridge's Energy Rating label.
The food safety limits here come from Queensland Health and Food Standards Australia New Zealand, and the station specs from EcoFlow and Bluetti's Australian pages. All are linked at the bottom.
Read the energy label first
The big number on an Australian Energy Rating label is the fridge's estimated energy use in kWh per year. Energy Rating says it assumes the fridge runs 24 hours a day under standard test conditions. Divide it by 365 for kWh per day, and multiply by 1,000 for watt-hours.
Say your label says 400 kWh a year. That's about 1,096Wh a day, or an average of roughly 46W. The compressor actually draws more than that while it's running and nothing while it's resting; the average is what matters for the battery.
Real use is usually higher than the label. A hot kitchen in a Queensland summer, a full door-opening household and a fridge that's warmed up during the outage will all push it up. Treat the label as the best case.
How long a 1,024Wh station lasts
A station loses some energy converting its battery to 230V AC. We allow 15%, which leaves about 870Wh from a 1,024Wh battery. Divide that by the fridge's average watts for the runtime:
| Label figure | Average draw | Runtime from 1,024Wh |
|---|---|---|
| 300 kWh a year | About 34W | About 25 hours |
| 400 kWh a year | About 46W | About 19 hours |
| 500 kWh a year | About 57W | About 15 hours |
These are arithmetic, not measurements. The 15% loss is our assumption, since makers don't all publish an AC efficiency figure. Put in your own numbers with the runtime calculator.
Check the start-up surge
A fridge compressor pulls a lot more power for a moment when it starts. Energex says appliances with motors use three to four times their running rating while starting up. A fridge that runs at 150W might ask for 450 to 600W for a second or two.
That's no problem for the 1,800W inverters on the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus and Bluetti Elite 100 V2. It can be a problem for small stations. A 600W station may run the fridge but trip when the compressor kicks in, especially if anything else is plugged in at the same time. Check your fridge's running watts on its rating plate or in the manual, multiply by four, and compare that with the station's rated output.
Run it in shifts
You don't need to run the fridge nonstop. Queensland Health says a closed fridge keeps food cold for about four hours, and Energex notes a fridge may only need to run for a few hours a day to preserve food. Running it for a block, then unplugging it and keeping the door shut, makes the battery go much further.
Put a fridge thermometer on the middle shelf and let it guide you. Queensland Health's rule is that refrigerated food that's been above 5°C for more than four hours should be thrown out. Plug the fridge back in well before you get close to that.
The freezer gives you more time. Queensland Health says a full freezer keeps food frozen for about 48 hours and a half-full one for about 24, as long as the door stays shut. Food Standards Australia New Zealand says not to refreeze food that's thawed.
A few things help before the storm. Freeze bottles of water to fill gaps in the freezer and to use in an esky later, and have ice bricks ready, as FSANZ suggests. Turn the fridge a little colder the day before. Move drinks to an esky so nobody opens the fridge for a cold one.
Plug the fridge straight into the power station. Never run a lead from a power station or generator into a house power point to feed the fridge's circuit. Energex warns this can send power back into the network and kill line workers or neighbours. Connecting backup power to house wiring needs a changeover switch installed by a licensed electrician.
Where to put the station
Keep the station next to the fridge, inside, on a hard floor with some air around it. If the fridge's own lead won't reach, use a single heavy-duty extension lead rated for the load rather than a powerboard. The Queensland Fire Department says not to charge lithium-ion batteries unattended, and to keep them away from heat and soft furnishings.
If the outage looks like dragging on, a station you can recharge is worth more than a bigger one you can't. Our blackout and cyclone season guide covers the rest of the house's needs, and the solar pairing basics cover topping up from panels during the day.
Sources (checked October 2026): Queensland Health: Food safety in disasters · Food Standards Australia New Zealand: Food safety in an emergency · Energy Rating: Understand the Energy Rating Label · Energex: Electrical generator safety · Queensland Fire Department: Lithium-ion battery safety · EcoFlow AU: DELTA 3 Plus · Bluetti AU: Elite 100 V2
Where to buy in Australia
Buying from the brand's Australian store means 230V AU outlets, the local warranty and local support. Prices move around a lot, so check on the day.
- EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus (1,024Wh, 1,800W)EcoFlow AustraliaSee it at EcoFlow Australia
- Bluetti Elite 100 V2 (1,024Wh, 1,800W)Bluetti AustraliaSee it at Bluetti Australia
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