IPS vs Portable Gadgets for Load Shedding: Real Cost in Bangladesh

You just lost power again. It's 9 PM in July, and Dhaka humidity is hitting you like a wet towel. Your phone is at 20%. Do you buy that IPS your neighbor swears by, or grab a handful of portable fans and power banks and call it a day? The answer isn't obvious. Let's break down what you actually pay for each option, including the hidden costs nobody talks about.

The true cost of an IPS system

A basic 600VA IPS in Bangladesh costs between 7,000 and 10,000 taka depending on the brand and warranty. That's just the inverter unit. You also need a deep-cycle battery. A 100Ah tubular battery runs another 8,000 to 12,000 taka. Add wiring, a changeover switch, and installation labor, and you're looking at 18,000 to 25,000 taka upfront. That's real money.

The battery doesn't last forever. A decent lead-acid battery gives you two to three years of regular use. Replace it, and you're out another 8,000 to 12,000 taka. Some people buy a solar panel to charge the battery during the day, but that adds 6,000 taka for a 100W panel and a charge controller. Now you're at 30,000 taka or more.

Big downside: the IPS hums, it's heavy (a 100Ah battery weighs about 30 kg), and it needs maintenance. You must check water levels quarterly. If you forget, the battery dries out and dies early. Also, the inverter wastes some power. Around 10-15% is lost converting DC to AC. That taka literally disappears as heat.

Why portable gadgets are cheaper (but not free)

Portable fans are the opposite. A 2000mAh handheld fan costs 800 to 1,200 taka. A 20,000mAh power bank is 1,500 to 2,500 taka. For 4,000 taka total, you can run a small fan for four hours on low, charge your phone three or four times, and keep a reading light on. Nothing else.

For a family of four, you'd need multiple units: four fans (3,200 taka), two power banks (4,000 taka), and maybe a portable LED lamp (500 taka). That's 7,700 taka. Still less than half an IPS setup. And there's zero installation. No wiring, no humming, no water checking.

But here's the catch: these gadgets run on DC. They're efficient, but they have limited capacity. A 20,000mAh power bank stores about 74 watt-hours. A 600VA IPS with a 100Ah battery at 12V stores around 1,200 watt-hours. But remember the 10-15% inverter loss, so usable is closer to 1,020 watt-hours. That's more than ten times the capacity.

So if your load shedding lasts six hours straight, a single portable fan will drain before bedtime. You'll need to rotate devices, which means you need to charge them all during the brief power-on windows. That's a scheduling headache.

What about charging all those gadgets?

When the power is on, you plug everything in. That's fine if you have enough outlets. But charging four fans, two power banks, and a lamp, each with its own USB cable, turns your living room into a spaghetti junction. The total draw is small: maybe 50 watts when all are charging at once. That's a fraction of what an IPS draws from the grid.

However, remember that a portable fan's battery capacity is tiny. A 2000mAh fan charges in about two hours. A 20,000mAh power bank takes 8 to 10 hours. If load shedding comes back before they're full, you're left with partial charges. The IPS doesn't have this problem. It charges once when grid power is available and stays ready.

The load shedding math: hours vs taka

Let's compare two realistic scenarios.

Scenario A: Daily 2-hour load shedding. Your lights and a fan need about 150 watts (tube light + ceiling fan). A portable fan uses 4 watts on low. A 600VA IPS with a 100Ah battery gives you about 6.8 hours of backup for that load. You could run four fans, three lights, and a TV for those two hours. That's overkill. An IPS at 25,000 taka would last 7 years if you replace the battery once. That's about 3,570 taka per year, or 10 taka per day. Portable gadgets for the same two hours: four fans (3,200 taka) and two power banks (4,000 taka) = 7,200 taka. If they last two years on average (fans may die sooner, batteries degrade), that's 3,600 taka per year, or 10 taka per day. Same cost per day, but the IPS gives you more power for the same money.

Scenario B: Daily 6-hour load shedding. Now the portable gadgets run out of steam. Each 2000mAh fan gives about 4 hours on low. You'd need to swap batteries or have multiple sets. Two full sets of fans and power banks: 14,400 taka, lasting maybe 1.5 years = 9,600 taka per year, or 26 taka per day. An IPS still costs 10 taka per day and runs all six hours without swapping. The IPS is cheaper per day in the long run.

Scenario C: Unpredictable short outages (20 minutes to 1 hour). Portable gadgets win. You don't need a heavy system. Grab your mini handheld fan (a compact model from DearBuys that fits in a bag) and a power bank. That's 2,000 taka total. IPS would be wasted for such short interruptions.

Comparison table: quick reference

Feature	IPS system (600VA + 100Ah battery)	Portable gadgets (4 fans + 2 power banks + 1 lamp)
Upfront cost	18,000 - 25,000 taka	7,000 - 8,000 taka
Annual running cost (battery replacement)	4,000 - 6,000 taka/year	1,000 - 2,000 taka/year (replace worn units)
Capacity (usable watt-hours)	~1,020 Wh	~370 Wh (all fully charged)
Runs a ceiling fan + light	Yes, for 6-8 hours	No (only DC fan, weak airflow)
Can charge multiple phones	Yes, with a UPS circuit	Yes, but limited by ports
Noise	Inverter hum, some fan noise	Quiet, but multiple small fans may whine
Maintenance	Monthly water check, battery cleaning	None except occasional cable replacement
Lifespan of core device	7-10 years (inverter) + 2-3 years (battery)	1-3 years per device
Best for	Long daily outages, heavy loads	Short outages, single person, travel

The hidden costs you should know

Both options have costs that aren't in the price tag.

IPS: The inverter wastes electricity even when idling. A 600VA unit draws about 5-10 watts just being on. That's 2-4 taka per day if electricity costs 8 taka per unit. Over a year, that's 730 to 1,460 taka lost to nothing. Also, if you forget to turn off the IPS during grid power, the battery constantly charges and discharges slightly, shortening its life. And installation might require a licensed electrician, another 500-1,000 taka.

Portable gadgets: You'll buy cables. You'll lose them. The battery in a power bank degrades after 300-500 cycles. A 20,000mAh power bank at 300 cycles gives you about 1.5 years of daily use. After that, capacity drops to 70% or less. You'll need new ones sooner than you expect. Also, cheap USB fans often break at the neck joint. The motor is fine but the swivel cracks. Then you buy another.

Which one makes sense for you?

Here's the honest answer.

If you face 4+ hours of load shedding daily and need to run lights, a ceiling fan, and maybe a TV or laptop, invest in an IPS. The per-day cost over 5 years is lower than portable gadgets, and you get real convenience. No swapping batteries, no dimming lights at the worst moment.

If your load shedding is 1-2 hours or erratic, skip the IPS. Get a couple of power banks and a quality mini handheld fan. The 2000mAh fan from DearBuys costs around 900 taka and is quiet enough to use while sleeping. For those short gaps, it's all you need.

If you're a student or live in a small room, stick with portable gadgets. They're cheap, mobile, and you can take them to the library or café if the power goes out there.

The practical takeaway

Don't buy an IPS for occasional use. The battery will degrade from underuse. Don't buy portable gadgets for six-hour outages. You'll run out of charge and end up sleeping in sweat. Match your purchase to your actual shedding pattern, not your neighbor's. Track your load shedding for a week. Count the total hours without power. If it's under 10 hours per week, portable is your friend. If it's over 30 hours per week, bite the bullet and get an IPS. Your sleep quality will thank you.