Standby Generator vs. Battery Backup
Quick answer
Is a standby generator or a home battery better for Texas outages?
A natural-gas standby generator is the better choice for multi-day Texas grid events, because it runs indefinitely on utility gas and can carry the whole house including central AC. A battery is better for short, frequent outages and for pairing with solar, but a single battery typically carries only critical circuits for 8–12 hours.
Last updated by Art Electric & HVAC · Rockwall, TX
Standby generator
$8,500 – $18,000
- Runs for days on natural gas
- Can carry central AC and the full panel
- Automatic transfer in 10–20 seconds
- Annual service required
- Noise and outdoor footprint
- Gas line and permit needed
Home battery
$12,000 – $22,000
- Silent, no fuel, no exhaust
- Pairs with solar and time-of-use rates
- Instant transfer, no flicker
- Limited runtime without solar recharge
- Usually critical loads only, not full AC
- Highest cost per usable kWh
Our recommendation
Whole-house resilience through a February freeze: generator. Short outages plus solar and rate arbitrage: battery. Some Heath and Rockwall customers install both.