Pakistan's load-shedding makes generators a common household necessity — but fuel costs add up quickly. This calculator shows your monthly generator running cost based on generator size, daily outage hours, fuel type, and current fuel prices, making it easy to compare against solar system costs.
How to use: Enter your generator's kVA rating (found on the generator label), select fuel type, enter daily load-shedding hours, and enter the current price per litre or kg. Fuel consumption assumes 50–70% load factor — typical for residential use.
Calculate the monthly fuel cost of running your generator during load shedding — and compare it to solar system savings.
Generator consumption: petrol ~0.5-0.7 L/kVA/hr; diesel ~0.35-0.5 L/kVA/hr at 50-70% load. Actual varies with generator age and load factor.
Generator vs Solar — The Real Comparison
The monthly fuel cost this calculator produces is your break-even benchmark for solar. If your generator costs Rs. 15,000/month in fuel, a solar hybrid system that eliminates that cost pays back in 3–5 years — without the noise, maintenance, or air quality concerns. Use our solar savings calculator alongside this to compare total cost of ownership.
Frequently Asked Questions
Run the generator for exactly one hour under your typical household load. Measure fuel used (fill the tank, run one hour, measure how much you need to refill). This empirical measurement is more accurate than the nameplate figure, which assumes full-load operation.
Diesel engines are inherently more fuel-efficient than petrol engines at equivalent power output — diesel contains about 15% more energy per litre and diesel engines convert it more efficiently. The higher purchase price of diesel generators is typically recovered within 6–12 months of regular use.
Gas/LPG conversion kits reduce fuel cost but require stable LPG cylinder supply. In areas with reliable piped SNGPL gas, conversion to natural gas makes strong economic sense. For LPG cylinder supply, factor in cylinder availability during supply disruptions, which can coincide with load-shedding periods.