and the size you need depends on what you plan to power. Small generators can handle a few appliances, while a whole-home generator— or a standby generator—can power an entire house.

Some manufacturers recommend it, like Jake Thomas, product manager for Generac, who says, “The best way to choose a standby ...

They’re about the size of a central air conditioning unit ... watts of power but often run longer on propane than larger standby generators. Note that while smaller models are less expensive ...