Whether you should purchase a standby or portable generator depends on how many members are in your household, your power needs, whether you are at home frequently or not, and your budget. The main difference between standby and portable generators is the manner in which the power is transmitted into your home along with the electrical capacity. Standby generators are pretty large, permanent structures located outside of your home that run on natural gas or liquid propane. Standby generators will turn on automatically the minute your power fails (even if you are not home), and then automatically turn off again once power is restored. Portable generators are much smaller and run on gas. Unlike standby generators, you will have to physically wheel it outside and connect it using a heavy-duty extension cord made specifically for generators. Unfortunately, with standby generators, only a very limited amount of appliances and electronics can connect. Lastly, standby generators are more expensive than portable generators.