What Size Generator Do I Need? A Simple Guide for Kenyan Homes and Shops

Power cuts cost money. A salon loses clients, a cyber café loses customers and food in the fridge spoils. A generator keeps things running, but only if you choose the right size. Here is a simple way to get it right.

Step 1: List what you want to run

Write down every appliance you need during a blackout. Be honest: you rarely need everything on at once. A typical list might be:

• LED lights
• Wi-Fi router and phone chargers
• TV and decoder
• Fridge or freezer
• Laptop or desktop computer
• Water pump
• Hair dryers, clippers or a till for a business

Step 2: Find the wattage

Check the label on each appliance or its manual. Wattage is shown in watts (W). Add up the running watts of everything you plan to use at the same time. Some rough guides:

• LED bulb: around 10W each
• Router: around 10–20W
• 43-inch LED TV: around 80–120W
• Laptop: around 50–90W
• Fridge: around 150–300W running

Always use the actual label figures where you can, as models vary.

Step 3: Allow for start-up surge

Anything with a motor, such as a fridge, water pump, or washing machine, needs a burst of extra power when it starts, sometimes two to three times its running watts. Your generator must handle this surge. A safe habit is to add the biggest surge on top of your running total, then add about 20–25% headroom so the generator is not working flat out.

Example: lights, router, TV and laptop come to about 300W. A fridge adds 200W running but may need 600W to start. So: 300 + 600 = 900W, plus headroom, means a generator of around 1.2kVA or more is sensible.

Step 4: Petrol or diesel?

Petrol generators suit homes and small shops:

• Lower price and lighter to move
• Easy to start and maintain
• Best for occasional outages

Diesel generators suit bigger homes, schools and businesses:

• More fuel-efficient for long hours
• Built for heavier, longer use
• Higher upfront cost but often cheaper to run daily

Step 5: Think about noise and placement

If you live in an apartment or a busy estate, noise matters to you and your neighbours. Check the noise rating and plan where the generator will sit.

Safety first, always

• Never run a generator indoors, in a garage, corridor or near open windows. The exhaust contains carbon monoxide, which is deadly and has no smell.
• Keep it on a flat, dry surface, sheltered from rain.
• Let it cool before refuelling, and store fuel away from the house.
• Have a qualified electrician install a changeover switch if you want to connect it to your house wiring. Never plug a generator into a wall socket.

Keep it running well

• Change the oil as the manual advises
• Run it for a few minutes every couple of weeks, even if there is no outage
• Clean the air filter, especially in dusty areas

Not sure? Ask us

Bring your appliance list to Masii Electronics on Luthuli Avenue and our team will help you match a generator to your needs. You may also find that an inverter with batteries suits quiet, everyday backup better, with a generator for longer outages.

See our range of generators, inverters and electrical accessories, and check delivery details. Shop generators