Estimate how long a generator will run on a tank of fuel, what it costs per
hour to operate, and how much fuel you need to store for a multi-day outage.
Fuel consumption varies with load — a generator running at 50% load uses
approximately 60–70% of its full-load fuel rate, not 50%.
Fuel consumption rate—
Runtime per tank—
Cost per hour—
Fuel needed for 72-hour outage—
72-hour fuel cost—
Inverter generators like the
Honda EU2200i
adjust engine speed to match load, reducing fuel consumption by 20–40% at
partial load compared to conventional generators that run at a fixed 3,600 RPM
regardless of demand. For multi-day outages where fuel resupply may be
uncertain, an inverter generator's fuel efficiency advantage translates directly
to extended runtime from stored fuel. See our
generator vs power station comparison
for a detailed TCO analysis.