Is a 12kw generator enough to survive a power outage for a few hours?

A 12-kilowatt generator should be able to power many essential appliances, such as a refrigerator, lights, a water heater and a gas furnace. Determining the amount of power required from a generator during a brief power outage depends on the appliances that are powered.

A 12-kilowatt generator should be able to power a refrigerator, a microwave, a sump pump, lights, a television, a portable heater, a computer, a small water heater, an air conditioner, an electric range, a clothes washer and a clothes dyer. These items cannot all be powered from the generator at the same time. Two to three major appliances can be operated at the same time with a 12-kilowatt generator.