Do this first

Record the live Generator Info reading, fuel reading and game time. Compare one appliance change under the same world settings before relying on a copied consumption table.

Evidence boundary. The Generator Info workflow is older wiki background. Current 42.21 fuel coefficients, tank capacities, ranges and sandbox multiplier arithmetic are not encoded here.
Original power illustration accompanying this checking guide.
Original illustration, not an in-game screenshot or a verified layout.

Separate load from elapsed time

A fuel percentage lost during a real-world session does not by itself define a consumption rate. Record the game date and time as well as the generator’s fuel and information panel. Fast-forwarding, sleeping or server time can make two sessions cover different amounts of game time.

Use the live information panel as the starting point. The older Generator page describes showing connected demand there. A copied appliance table may have a different patch, generator variant or world configuration. If the panel and a guide disagree, first record what your current world reports rather than silently choosing the smaller number.

Source: PZWiki · Generator · Older wiki background

Generator load comparison: record total A, turn off one known load, record total B. Compare under the same world settings.Record total AOne load offRecord total BSAME PATCH · SAME SETTINGS
Original troubleshooting schematic. It illustrates a checking workflow, not a simulation of game rules.

Make a one-load comparison

  1. Write down the generator variant, game patch, current fuel, condition and live load information. Keep relevant sandbox settings with the record.
  2. Choose one known connected appliance that you can temporarily switch off without losing a critical supply.
  3. Record the total before and after that change. Do not move the generator, alter world settings and disable several appliances in the same test.
  4. Check whether the panel reflects the expected appliance change. If it does not, investigate whether that appliance is in the actual connected set.
  5. Record fuel and elapsed game time during a stable-load interval. Compare like-for-like observations before calling the usage anomalous.

If an online estimate is far lower

Check the estimate’s version label and what its input means. Some planners accept the live total; others assume a fixed appliance list. A percentage, a volume and a displayed hourly total are different quantities. Do not combine them until the units and the generator capacity are established for the same version.

Also compare world settings and mods. If a server changes fuel behavior, a vanilla preset may be the wrong model even when the appliance list is right. Record the setting instead of adding an unexplained multiplier to make the numbers match. This site deliberately does not provide a universal runtime formula with an assumed tank size.

Keep the power plan separate from the experiment

Maintain the generator using the current game’s controls and instructions. Follow the game’s placement warnings; do not put a generator indoors to make a test convenient. Before disabling refrigeration loads, plan where the food will go if the experiment lasts longer than expected.

If the same discrepancy persists in a separate vanilla control world, keep the patch, settings, live panel screenshots, load-change sequence and game-time interval together. That record is useful for checking a calculator or reporting a bug. A lone “it used 20 percent” screenshot cannot establish which model failed.

Choose the next branch

Sources & verification

Original checking steps are editorial recommendations. This site has not run a game test or inspected a local 42.21 installation. Source review and page update dates describe different work.

Prepare a correction for this guide