California PSPS: keep the fridge and internet on with a power station

During a Public Safety Power Shutoff, a portable power station of about 1,000 Wh can keep your router and phones on for more than a day, and your fridge cold for part of each day. The trick is to run the router all the time and the fridge in blocks. Here is how to plan it.

What a PSPS is

The California Public Utilities Commission explains that utilities may turn off power to specific areas to reduce the risk of fires started by power lines. It is meant as a last resort, used when strong winds or dry conditions create a serious wildfire risk.

PG&E says these outages may last several hours or several days, depending on the weather and the time needed to check the lines and restore power safely. It also says the first alert may sometimes come the same day the power goes off.

So the station has to be charged before you get the alert. During fire-weather season, keep it full and plugged in.

The two things worth powering

Internet

A router or modem uses about 10 W on average. That small load is easy to carry for a long time, and it keeps you connected to alerts, work and family.

One limit: your internet provider’s equipment outside your home also needs power. If it goes down, your router will not bring the internet back. Keep your phone charged so you can use it as a hotspot.

The fridge

On this site we count 45 W on average for a fridge, with a burst of about 700 W when its motor starts. All three stations here announce at least 1,500 W of output, which covers that start.

The fridge is the big user. Running it nonstop uses most of a 1,000 Wh station in less than a day.

How long a 1,000 Wh station lasts

Our runtime formula is: hours = battery Wh × 0.85 ÷ (device watts + 10 W). The 0.85 covers the energy lost making household current, and the 10 W is what the station uses with its outlets on.

For a whole day, add up each device’s watts × hours, plus 10 W × 24 h for the station itself. Here are three plans, using the Anker SOLIX C1000 (1,056 Wh, announced by the brand). Its usable energy is 1,056 × 0.85 ≈ 898 Wh.

Plan	Wh per day	Math	How long on the C1000
Router 24 h + 2 phones	240 + 60 + 240 = 540 Wh	898 ÷ 540	≈ 1.7 days
Router 24 h + fridge 12 h + 2 phones	240 + 540 + 60 + 240 = 1,080 Wh	898 ÷ 1,080	≈ 20 hours
Router + fridge all day + 2 phones	240 + 1,080 + 60 + 240 = 1,620 Wh	898 ÷ 1,620	≈ 13 hours

The two phones count 10 W for 3 hours each, or 30 Wh apiece. The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus (1,024 Wh) and the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 (1,070 Wh) land within an hour of these numbers.

You can test your own fridge and router in the runtime calculator.

A routine that keeps food safe

Food safety, not comfort, is what the fridge plan is about. A few habits make the battery go further:

• Plug the fridge in for a few hours, then unplug it for a few hours, and keep the door shut while it is off.
• Freeze water bottles before the shutoff. They help the fridge stay cold during the off hours.
• Move what you need for the day into a cooler, so you open the fridge less.
• Leave the router plugged in all the time. At 10 W it barely moves the needle.

For a station-by-station view, see the fridge runtime on the Anker SOLIX C1000.

Recharging when the shutoff runs long

California’s fall sun helps. PVGIS, a European Commission solar tool, gives about 3 kWh per day for each 1,000 W of flat panels in October in Santa Rosa, as a monthly average.

A 200 W panel would then make about 0.2 × 3 = 0.6 kWh a day on paper. Real output is lower than that: smoke, shade, heat and the angle of the panel all reduce it. Still, 0.6 kWh would cover the router-and-phones plan for about a day.

You can also recharge in a running car with the 12 V cable, but that is slow, and only in open air, never in a closed garage. PG&E’s Community Resource Centers offer charging stations for phones and small devices.

Plan ahead with your utility

PG&E recommends keeping your contact details up to date and signing up for Address Alerts for places you care about. Charge your devices and save important numbers before an outage.

If someone at home relies on powered medical equipment, PG&E’s Medical Baseline program adds extra PSPS alerts, which may include an in-person visit. Customers who do not qualify can self-certify for Vulnerable Customer Status. Ask your equipment supplier how long the device can run on battery. Our emergency kit page has a checklist for the rest of the household.

In short

• A PSPS can last several hours or several days, and warning may come the same day.
• A 1,000 Wh station keeps a router and two phones going for about 1.7 days.
• Add the fridge for 12 hours a day and that drops to about 20 hours, so run it in blocks.
• Keep the station charged in fire weather and sign up for your utility’s alerts.