Generator Running Cost Calculator
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Key Takeaways
- A typical 5,000W portable generator burns about 0.5 gallons of gasoline per hour at 50% load.
- At $3.50/gallon, that is $1.75 per hour or $42 per day of continuous operation.
- Propane typically costs 10 to 20% more per kWh than gasoline but stores indefinitely.
- A natural-gas standby generator costs $1 to $3 per hour to run, depending on gas prices and load.
Calculator Coming Soon
This interactive calculator is part of Phase 2. It will let you input fuel type, generator wattage, load percentage, and local fuel prices to calculate hourly and daily running costs.
How much does it cost to run a generator?
A typical 5,000W portable generator burns about 0.5 gallons of gasoline per hour at 50% load. At $3.50 per gallon, that is $1.75 per hour or $42 per day. Propane costs about 10 to 20% more per kWh but stores indefinitely. A natural-gas standby generator costs $1 to $3 per hour, depending on gas prices and load. Fuel cost scales roughly linearly with wattage and load.