Blackout Battle
The grid goes down at noon. Outfit your home, manage the family group chat, and keep the lights on until power returns.
Meet your household
They’ll text. You decide.
Sam · your partner
Your partner. At work all day, checking the thermostat from afar all night.
Riley · the teen
Resident teen. Runs on Wi-Fi, video games, and righteous indignation.
Jojo · the kid
The little one. Powered by snacks, movies, and asking at the exact wrong time.
1. Pick your forecast
Deep Freeze
A polar cold snap. Heat is everything, the sun is weak, and the night is very, very long.
Lovely Spring Day
Mild weather, clear skies. A gentle first outage — if you keep the family from frittering it away.
Selected
Summertime Storms
A heat wave, an afternoon storm, and a family that really, really wants the AC on.
2. Pick your budget
Blackout Bucks (B$) are game money — not real-world prices.
3. Outfit your home
B$12,000 leftBattery backup · B$5,000
Keeps the essentials running when the grid can’t. Each unit adds capacity.
0
Efficiency upgrade · B$2,000
Efficient appliances and LED everything. Every load draws less.
0
Insulation & air sealing · B$2,000
Keeps the indoor temperature from chasing the weather outside.
0
Solar — large array · B$6,000
A big rooftop array. Strong daytime generation, weather permitting.
0
Solar — small array · B$4,000
A starter rooftop array. Modest daytime generation.
0
Energy 101
How many watts do holiday lights use? (LED vs. incandescent, 2026)
LED holiday lights use 5–10 watts per 100-bulb string. Incandescent strings use ~40 watts. Here's the full breakdown by light type, plus how to calculate your December electric bill impact.
