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An Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is an electrical appliance that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source, typically mains power, fails. It differs from an auxiliary or emergency power system in that it will provide near-instantaneous protection from input power interruptions by supplying energy stored in batteries or a flywheel. The on-battery runtime of most uninterruptible power sources is relatively short—a few minutes being typical for home and office use. Their main purpose is to allow time for an orderly shutdown of equipment, or to bridge the gap between the failure of the primary power source and the activation of a standby power source, typically a generator. UPS systems are typically used to protect hardware such as computers, data centers, telecommunication equipment or other electrical equipment where an unexpected power disruption could cause injuries, fatalities, business disruption, or data loss.