Backup power in Houston, after Uri and Beryl.

Houstonians didn’t used to think much about backup power. Then came Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 — days without power in a deep freeze — and Hurricane Beryl in July 2024, which knocked out more than 2 million CenterPoint customers, some for over a week, in brutal summer heat. Between them, a home generator went from “nice for some people” to a line item a lot of Houston homeowners are actively budgeting for. Here’s how to think about it without the sales pressure.

Why Houston homeowners are adding backup power

It comes down to two realities: our weather produces both freezes and hurricanes, and the grid has shown it can go down for days, not hours. When the power’s out here, it’s rarely just an inconvenience — it’s no AC in 100-degree heat or no heat in a hard freeze, a fridge full of spoiling food, no way to work from home, and real danger for anyone with medical needs. A generator is essentially insurance against that, and the case for it got a lot stronger after the last few years.

Standby vs. portable: the two paths

There are really two products under the word “generator,” and they’re very different:

• Standby (whole-home) generator. Permanently installed beside the house, wired in through an automatic transfer switch, and fueled by natural gas or propane. When the power fails, it starts itself within seconds — no one has to be home. It can run your whole house or a selected set of circuits, indefinitely, as long as fuel flows. This is the hands-off option. Common brands include Generac, Kohler, Cummins, and Briggs & Stratton.
• Portable generator. Far cheaper, runs on gasoline, and powers only a few things. You roll it out, fuel it, and connect it by hand every time. Useful as a budget stopgap — but it needs gasoline on hand (scarce after a storm) and, critically, must never be run indoors or in a garage: the carbon monoxide is deadly. Run it outside, well away from windows, always.

What size do you need?

This is the first real decision. Whole-home coverage powers everything, including both AC units on a big house — convenient, but larger and more expensive. Essential-circuit coverage (sometimes with a “load management” system) powers the things that matter — a fridge, some outlets, internet, and at least one AC zone — for less money. For most families the honest answer is somewhere in between, and a good installer sizes it from your actual electrical load, not a guess. Decide what you truly need running before you shop, and you’ll avoid overbuying.

Fuel: natural gas vs. propane

In Houston, natural gas is usually the easy answer because most homes already have a gas line. A standby unit ties straight into it and runs without anyone refueling, for as long as the gas keeps flowing — which it generally does even when the electric grid is down. Where there’s no gas service, standby generators run on propane from an on-site tank; that works well but means keeping the tank filled and sized for a long outage. Either way, you’re not chasing gasoline cans the way you would with a portable.

Installation: what it actually involves

A standby generator is not a DIY project. Expect a licensed electrician or authorized dealer, a permit, an automatic transfer switch tied into your panel, a gas hookup by a qualified plumber, and a concrete or composite pad set the right distance from the house. It’s a real investment — installed standby systems frequently land somewhere in the low-to-mid five figures depending on size and your home, so get a couple of quotes and ask exactly what’s included. A portable is a fraction of that, but remember you’re also paying in effort and gasoline every time you use it.

Maintenance

A standby unit largely takes care of itself, but not entirely: most run a brief weekly self-test, and they need annual service (oil, filters, battery, a load test) plus keeping the area around them clear. Have it serviced before hurricane season so it’s ready when you need it — a generator that won’t start in the outage is just an expensive lawn ornament. For a portable, store fuel safely, run it periodically, and confirm your connection method is safe long before a storm.

Backup power is one piece of being ready for what Houston throws at a home — it pairs directly with freeze protection and the rest of the Houston home maintenance checklist.

Frequently asked questions

Are home generators worth it in Houston?

For many homeowners, yes — Uri (2021) and Beryl (2024, 2M+ CenterPoint customers out, some over a week) made backup power feel like insurance rather than a luxury. Worth depends on your situation: medical needs, working from home, a pool, and staying safe in extreme heat or cold all raise the value. Standby is a significant investment; a portable is far cheaper but does less.

Does a whole-home standby generator run on natural gas?

Usually yes, which is convenient in Houston where most homes have a gas line — the unit ties in and runs automatically without refueling. Where there’s no gas, standby units run on propane from an on-site tank.

What’s the difference between a standby and a portable generator?

A standby is permanently installed, runs on natural gas or propane, and starts automatically through a transfer switch to power your home hands-free. A portable is cheaper, runs on gasoline, must be set up and fueled by hand, powers only a few things, and must never be run indoors or in a garage due to carbon monoxide.