APC by Schneider Electric BACK-UPS ES - BE850G2-UK - Uninterruptible Power Supply 850VA (8 Outlets, Surge Protected, 2 USB Charging Ports), Black, Pack of 1

This works great to keep my TV and WiFi running when I have power cuts in Zanzibar. I have a generator but there’s a 15 second automatic switch over where everything goes off, now I can at least keep my essentials running. It also includes a surge protector and when the voltage drops the battery takes over, this can happen many times while watching TV and it keeps it running seamlessly

I purchased this UPS to provide continued power for my fibre broadband ONT (my router is on a separate UPS), so that I have continued broadband for a limited amount of time and digital voice The UPS is well built, and has 6 UPS enabled outlets, along with 2 surge protected outlets and 2 USB outlets. For the UPS and surge protected outlets, they are standard UK plug types which is useful and is easier to connect domestic devices than many other UPS devices that typically power IT related equipment and have the common cloverleaf cable outlets The UPS seems to be of great quality and is easy to use, at it’s most basic level, plug in, power up, plug in devices and you’re ready to go. If used to provide power to desktops/laptops etc., a USB connection can also be used, along with some downloaded software to manage what happens if there’s a general power outage Overall, I believe this UBS to be very practical for a home user not looking just to connect IT equipment and in terms of the UPS products sold by my broadband/phone provider, BT, this is much more practical a product and provides much more functionality I would definitely recommend and I will be looking to purchase further units to provide power to other key items in my house Update: following a power outage as a local transformer blew up, I was without power for around 5 - 6 hours, during which time I had no problem in keeping my ONT alive as well as my backup 4G router, if my main BT router went offline (that’s served by a separate, much lower quality BT supplied UPS). For my purposes, a cannot recommend this UPS highly enough

I’ve been using the APC by Schneider Electric BACK-UPS for a few months now, and it has proven to be an excellent investment. The unit provides seamless power backup during outages, giving me enough time to save my work and safely power down my devices. It’s particularly useful in areas prone to sudden power interruptions. The setup was straightforward, and the build quality is solid and durable. I also appreciate the user-friendly interface and the helpful LED indicators, which make it easy to monitor its status. Another standout feature is the multiple outlets that accommodate both battery-backed and surge-protected devices, ensuring everything stays safe and operational. The peace of mind knowing my electronics are protected and my workflow isn’t disrupted is invaluable. APC by Schneider Electric has delivered a reliable, high-quality product, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for dependable power backup solutions.

An excellent UPS for protecting home or very small business IT systems. A tested and effective design giving good electrical protection to devices running from the battery plus surge protection and limited ability to charge mobile devices. Note that this size battery (850VA) won't keep full PC systems operating for long, but is ideal to allow graceful shutdowns and keeping routers running to maintain internet access via mobile devices (charged ideally by other means) during an extended power cut. The UPS works very well with recent Apple Macs - it is detected directly by MacOS as a UPS and needs no extra software. Easy and effective if you just want a safe and automatic way of powering down your Mac in the case of a power cut. In contrast, the provided Windows PowerChute software looks old-fashioned and is a little fiddly but is very powerful and useful. It gives detailed information on energy usage and UPS performance and therefore indicates how long the unit's battery would be expected to power your IT system for. This lets you decide how to respond to a powercut and manage any business risk. Follow the documentation (download the full manual) and in particular plug the UPS directly into a mains socket rather than through e.g. a smart plug or home-plug adapter. Test that the battery will fully charge before putting a load on it, and make sure you are familiar with the different warning lights and audio beeps. The batteries are easy to replace when they reach the end of their useful life - the unit gives a warning when it considers this the case. In summary, a good small-capacity UPS with quality software. As such, it is different from the many battery-based chargers for mobile devices or a mini 'powerstation' as advertised for camping or solar charging. Not better or worse, they just meet different needs.

protects the TV from power surges and keeps the internet on in power cuts

UPDATED REVIEW AFTER 2.5 YEARS - IT'S DEAD! ====================================== After 2.5 years providing UPS backup to a desktop computer and monitor (low powered gpu!) and literally a small handful of backup incidents where the computer was quickly shut down and the battery never drained below 50% this unit has died. And not due to the battery. On trying to switch the unit on, it goes through the normal self-test and then all the leds go out and a constant tone is emitted. The only option is to switch it off. According to APC support, the cause was the battery (although it measured over 13 volts on my voltmeter). However, on the basis that they ought to know, I bought a non-OEM battery of identical physical and electrical specification. It did exactly the same thing. APC then (generously) sent me an OEM battery to try. Exactly the same result. So I think that proves that the actual hardware has failed in only 2.5 years. This is really disappointing - I bought APC thinking it was a premier brand given my previous experience of UPS devices. I also bought a spec that was quite a bit higher than the devices I was plugging into it required because I thought this would provide an extended life. So, for it to fail in 2.5 years is way short of what I or any other consumer would reasonably expect. So, I definitely won't be buying this brand again. To add insult to injury, I do believe people in the EU benefit from a 3 year warranty on this item. If APC is confident enough to offer 3 years in the EU, why not in the UK? Possibly another reason not to buy the brand. :-) Changed 5 star initial review to 1 star. ORIGINAL REVIEW ============== I'm using this UPS to provide uninterruptible power for my desktop computer and monitor. It is probably over-specified for my setup as (according to the accompanying management software) it only draws around 100 watts of power most of the time and the forecast battery time in the event of a power cut is estimated at over 25 minutes. My rationale for over-specifying is because lead acid batteries don't like being run down.... it shortens their life. So although I would always shut my computer down as quickly as possible in the event of a power cut, it means that the battery level does not go down much. This will maximise the lifetime of the UPS batteries. Why this particular model? Well: + APC is a top tier UPS brand + The unit has UK power sockets, so no hunting for the special computer mains cables needed with other UPS supplies. + 6 of the power sockets have battery backup plus another 2 without. Even when the unit is off I can still plug stuff into the 2 without battery backup, which is useful. + There is one standard USB and one USB-C charging socket, which is handy for recharging my devices. Actually, here is one area where I think it could be improved - i.e. increase the number of charging sockets. + It's black, which fits in best with my decor. In terms of reliability or lifetime, who knows? I've had several over the years. Great that the batteries can be replaced because they will go, eventually, but my previous APC developed a hardware fault after several years. This one has been running flawlessly for a year and saved my data from a couple of power cuts. It's the best design I've had yet so I live in hope of it having a long life and recommend it for anyone looking for a consumer UPS.