there is a neat electronic meter called a "Kill A Watt" by Intratec that can directly read volts, amps, watts, frequency and kWh.. to determine your actual current uasge

if you have natural gas available, I would suggest a conversion unit from someone like US Carburetion to save on gasoline cost

the research I've been doing on the inverter generators places the Honda EU2000i at the top of the list... the advantages are better fuel efficiency as they don't have to run at maximum rpm on standby, low weight, low noise, but they are pricey...from about $900 delivered on the internet...but they seem to be highly recommended by those with medical conditions

many of the lower end units have engines powered by known manufacturers... Honda, Yamaha etc, and generator heads from China, not that it is a bad thing..

the last modification I made to the ceiling fan thread works very well for a backup