Generators and electricity

In the default Apocalypse preset the grid fails at a random point in the first month; PinDrop lists 14 to 30 days, counted from the default start of 9 July 1993. Water uses its own timer. The Six Months Later preset starts without power. You cannot switch the town grid back on in the base game: generators are the only way, and only near the generator.

Opinion Eat the fridge food first, and start looking for a generator in week one, not when the lights go.

All four burn fuel at the same rate. Generator spawns are Rare in the Apocalypse preset. Look in sheds, tool sheds, garages, warehouses, storage units, generator rooms and the trunks of utility and emergency vehicles. A generator is carried with both hands, which slows you and stops you attacking, so bring a vehicle.

You need generator know-how to connect and start one. Any of these works:

• Start as an Electrician or Engineer.
• Read the magazine How to Use Generators.
• Reach Electrical 3 (level 2 with the Inventive trait). This route is new in Build 42; a few guides still dispute it, so the magazine is the safe bet.

Then right-click the generator, choose Connect Generator once, and start it. It needs to be connected, have fuel and have condition above 0.

Never run a generator indoors. On a building tile the Generator Info panel warns that toxic fumes will fill the building, and the exhaust damages health fast. A closed player-built shed is not safe either (one source).

By default power reaches 20 tiles sideways and 3 floors up and down (Build 41 reached 2). Sandbox can set 1 to 100 tiles and 1 to 15 floors. With the default "generator working in exterior" option on, it can also power outdoor objects such as gas station pumps.

Electricity runs lights, fridges and freezers, stoves and ovens, microwaves, washers and dryers, TVs and fuel pumps. Vanilla has no solar panels or battery banks as far as current guides show.

Generators burn petrol. A full tank is 10 litres and each litre adds about 10% on the gauge. Fill it while it is switched off; any container holding petrol works. Base burn is set by the sandbox Generator Fuel Consumption value (default 0.1 per in-game hour), plus whatever you leave switched on. The live total is in right-click, Generator Info.

Two generators covering the same rooms each burn fuel as if they were alone, roughly doubling your petrol bill (one source). Siphoning and fuel cans are covered on mechanics.

Condition drops from 100 while it runs. At 50 or below every start has a 50% chance to fail; at 20 or below it can backfire, catch fire or explode.

To repair, switch it off, carry scrap electronics and choose Fix Generator. Each scrap restores 4 plus half your Electrical level, and gives 5 Electrical XP. No minimum level is needed.

Base layout and wall tiers are on base building.