Portable vs. Standby Generator: Which Is Better?

Portable vs. Standby Generator: Which Is Better?

Portable and standby generators serve the same basic purpose — providing backup power during an outage — but they differ significantly in cost, convenience, capacity, and installation requirements. Which is better depends on your outage frequency, budget, and how much of the house you want to power.

Portable Generators

• Cost: $800–$3,000 for the unit. Lower upfront cost but requires a transfer switch or interlock kit installation ($500–$1,500) to safely connect to your home’s wiring
• Fuel: Gasoline, propane, or dual-fuel. Requires manual refuelling — during extended outages in Ontario, gasoline supplies can be limited
• Starting: Must be started manually and brought outside before use — ino practical if you are away during an outage
• Capacity: 3,500–12,000W. Sufficient for essential circuits but usually cannot power central air conditioning and major appliances simultaneously
• Placement: Must run outdoors, at least 3 metres from windows and doors — ino carbon monoxide risk. Cannot be stored connected to the home

Standby Generators

• Cost: $5,000–$15,000 installed, including automatic transfer switch, concrete pad, gas connection, and ESA permit
• Fuel: Natural gas or propane from a permanent supply line — no refuelling required during outages
• Starting: Automatic. Detects outage within seconds and starts without any action from the homeowner
• Capacity: 10–22 kW for residential models — enough to run the whole house or most of it
• Placement: Permanently installed outdoors on a pad, wired directly to the electrical panel

Which to Choose

If you experience one or two short outages per year and are usually home, a portable generator with an interlock kit is a practical low-cost option. If you travel frequently, have medical equipment that requires continuous power, or experience frequent multi-day outages (common in rural Ontario), a standby generator is the better long-term investment. EZSMART installs both interlock kits for portable generators and complete standby generator systems across Ontario. Contact us to compare options for your home and usage.

Amir Azimipour

Electrician Since 2008 Journeyman Electrician Designated Master Electrician at EZSMART Corp