Can a power station run a refrigerator, and for how long?

Two numbers decide it

A fridge asks two things of a power station:

1. Starting watts. When the compressor kicks on, a fridge briefly pulls about 1,200 W, then settles to 192 W or less while it runs (Honda’s wattage guide). The power station’s surge rating must be higher than the starting figure, or it will shut off the moment the compressor starts.
2. Energy over a day. The compressor cycles on and off, so a typical full-size fridge averages only about 52 W. That’s 1,252 Wh a day, based on 457 kWh a year across the ENERGY STAR list. This is what the battery size (Wh) has to cover.

Rule of thumb: the surge rating starts the fridge; the battery size (Wh) decides how long it keeps running.

How long popular power stations run a fridge

We assume 85% of the battery is usable, which allows for inverter losses. “Starts the fridge?” compares each model’s surge rating with the 1,200 W starting load.

Power station	Battery	Surge	Starts the fridge?	Runs it for about
EcoFlow RIVER 3	245 Wh	600 W	No	n/a
EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus	1,024 Wh	3,600 W	Yes	17 hours
Anker SOLIX C1000	1,056 Wh	2,400 W	Yes	17 hours
Jackery Explorer 1000 v2	1,070 Wh	3,000 W	Yes	17 hours
BLUETTI AC180	1,152 Wh	2,700 W	Yes	19 hours
Jackery Explorer 2000 v2	2,042 Wh	4,400 W	Yes	33 hours
Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2	2,048 Wh	4,000 W	Yes	33 hours
BLUETTI AC200L	2,048 Wh	7,200 W	Yes	33 hours

These figures are for a typical fridge. Side-by-side and bottom-freezer models use more, so they run for less time. A compact or mini fridge averages about 28 W, so it runs nearly twice as long. To see a different fridge type, use the fridge page.

Which size should you buy?

• For a short power cut (an evening or overnight): a 1,000 Wh class station such as the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus or Anker SOLIX C1000 covers it, with room left for phones and lights.
• To last a full day or more: go for 2,000 Wh, such as the Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 or BLUETTI AC200L. Add a solar panel to recharge during the day.
• Skip small units under about 600 W surge, like the RIVER 3. They are made for phones, laptops and fans, not compressors.

Make the battery last longer

• Keep the door shut. A closed fridge keeps food safe for about 4 hours with no power at all (USDA), so you can run it in bursts and save battery.
• Set the fridge to 37–40°F (3–4°C). A fridge thermometer shows the real temperature.
• Don’t run a power-hungry appliance from the same station at the same time. A kettle or space heater will drain it in minutes.
• Want your own fridge’s exact figure? A plug-in electricity usage monitor shows its real daily Wh. Divide your battery’s Wh × 0.85 by that number to get days of runtime.

What does the fridge cost on grid power?

At the U.S. average of 18.16 cents per kWh (EIA, August 2026), a typical fridge costs about $6.92 a month, or $83 a year. See what it costs in your country.