I would want to know the BTU output of the heater. I would assume in a blackout your family would hunker down in one room to conserve energy. So my concern is how efficient the unit will be in keeping it warm. After the Northridge earthquake I brought a humble old 2 burner Coleman stove to my grandmother's damaged home. Her immediate nieghbors had resided together for over 40 years.That stove cooked hot food and coffee for 17 people for 3 days! I would price the items separately to cost compare. Offhand it looks like a nice unit with a common fuel supply.