Home › Guides › CPAP and medical backup power · Checked Nov 15, 2026
CPAP and medical equipment in an outage: a simple plan
The short answer
In an outage, a CPAP simply shuts off, and you have to move it to a battery yourself (ResMed). The plan: a battery you’ve tested, a backup for longer outages, and DTE knowing your household relies on medical equipment.
General information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor or equipment supplier what your device needs.
- Night oneA tested battery or power station
- Day two and onA generator with a safe hookup
- Plan BSomewhere with power, and a ride
Size the battery in 3 steps
Ask your supplier if your machine can run from a DC cord or has a battery setting. Keep distilled water on hand if you use a humidifier (American Lung Association).
More detail
Tell DTE
- Critical Care form. If someone needs home medical equipment or life support, a doctor or medical facility signs DTE’s Medical Certification Form. Email it to [email protected]. It’s renewed yearly. (DTE)
- Know what it does. It protects against shutoff for an unpaid bill. It doesn’t bring power back faster in a storm.
- Know DTE’s generator program. In large outages, DTE says it delivers and fuels temporary generators for customers whose life-critical medical needs meet criteria set by Henry Ford Health physicians. Call 800-477-4747. (DTE)
Write it down
The FDA has a free booklet with a fill-in plan: how long your device runs on battery, who to call, and what not to do. Print it and keep it by the device. (FDA)
A generator or standby makes sense if
- Outages here outlast your battery
- There’s more than one device, or an oxygen concentrator
- Medicine has to stay cold
A battery may be enough if
- It’s one CPAP and outages are short
- You have somewhere to go on day two
If you run a generator: outside only, at least 20 feet from the house, and CO alarms on every level (CPSC).
Questions people ask
Can you run a CPAP on a generator?
Many people do, through a safe hookup with the generator outside at least 20 feet from the house. Ask your device maker what kind of power it needs.
How long will a power station run a CPAP?
Divide the station’s watt-hours by your machine’s watts. A 300 Wh station and a machine drawing 30 W is about 10 hours on paper, before conversion losses. Test a full night to know.
What is DTE Critical Care?
A status for households where someone needs home medical equipment or a life-support system. A doctor or medical facility signs DTE’s Medical Certification Form, and it is renewed each year. It protects against shutoff for nonpayment.
Does DTE provide generators for medical needs?
DTE says it delivers temporary generators during large outages to customers whose life-critical medical needs meet criteria set by Henry Ford Health physicians. Call 800-477-4747 to ask.
Keep reading
Two rules that save lives
Never run a generator in a garage, porch or near a window. Keep it 20 feet out, exhaust away.
Never backfeed through a dryer outlet. A ‘double-male’ cord can electrocute a lineman down the street. Your plan uses only safe, legal ways to connect.
Not sure which fits your house? A few taps about your home and what has to stay on. Free, and no email needed to see your plan.
Take the quiz: under 2 minutes- DTE: Medical Emergency and Critical Care: www.dteenergy.com
- DTE Energy (verified Facebook post, Sept. 6, 2026): temporary generators for life-critical medical needs: www.facebook.com
- CPSC: Winter weather safety tips (2026): www.cpsc.gov
- FDA: Home use devices, preparing for power outages (booklet): www.fda.gov
- ResMed: Should I get a CPAP battery?: www.resmed.com
- American Lung Association: Power outages and medical devices: www.lung.org
Lights Back On is not affiliated with DTE Energy. Educational content only; not electrical advice.