Generators & power hire
Silenced sets, distro and cabling, sized from your real load list. Delivered, set up and collected by suppliers who cover your patch.
Event generator hire typically costs £120 to £180 for a 6kVA silenced set and £300 to £500 for a 60kVA set per weekend, plus fuel and cabling. Size from the load list: catering is the big draw. A 120-guest catered wedding usually needs a 40 to 60kVA silenced diesel set with distribution.
Power is the item that ends events when it goes wrong, which is why the trade sizes generators from a load list rather than a hunch. Catering leads the list: a single hot cupboard pulls more than the whole lighting rig. Then PA, then heating, then everything with a plug that nobody mentioned.
For events, insist on silenced (super-silent or canopied) diesel sets: an open-frame builder’s generator will dominate the speeches from 100 metres. Distribution matters as much as the set: you are hiring a system of distro boxes, armoured cable runs and RCD protection, and the supplier should design it from your site plan.
The golden rule is one honest conversation between caterer, band and generator supplier before anyone confirms. EventSpeed structures exactly that: the kit list carries the loads, and the brief that goes to the power supplier includes them.
PLANNING RATIOSize from the load list, not the guest count alone. Working bands: 40kVA covers up to ~120 guests, 60kVA to ~300, 100kVA to ~800, twin 100kVA sets beyond that.
What it costs
| Item | Typical guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6kVA silenced, weekend | £120–£180 | |
| 20kVA silenced, weekend | £200–£320 | |
| 40kVA silenced, weekend | £250–£400 | |
| 60kVA silenced, weekend | £300–£500 | |
| 100kVA silenced, weekend | £450–£750 | |
| Distro + 25m cable run | £50–£150 / run | |
| Fuel | from ~£1.20/L + duty rules | ask what is included |
Guide prices exclude VAT and vary with season, region and site access. Quotes from suppliers are always the real number.
Generators & power hire across the launch corridor
Local pages for every corridor town, with the same honest ratios and local site knowledge.
Generators & power hire: questions organisers ask
What size generator do I need for a wedding?
A 120-guest marquee wedding with electric catering, PA and lighting typically needs 40 to 60kVA with proper distribution. Gas catering can halve the requirement. Use our generator calculator with your actual load list, then let the supplier confirm from the site plan.
How loud are event generators?
Silenced event sets run around 60 to 65 dB at 7 metres, about the level of normal conversation, and are usually positioned 25 to 50 metres from guests behind a natural screen. Open-frame construction generators are far louder and do not belong at events.
How much fuel does an event generator use?
Rough guide at 75 percent load: a 40kVA set burns about 8 to 9 litres per hour, a 100kVA about 20. A wedding weekend on a 60kVA set typically uses 150 to 250 litres. Confirm whether fuel is included, and who tops up on multi-day hires.
Can I run a marquee wedding off the house mains?
Sometimes, for lighting and the band, if the house has a spare 32A supply and the run is short. Electric catering almost always tips it: one 13A ring cannot feed a field kitchen. Get loads confirmed early; the generator decision changes the budget by hundreds, not thousands.
