Staying warm in a winter power cut
Published
Pick one room, close the doors, and dress in layers. Use blankets and sleeping bags. Never use a gas or paraffin heater, a camping stove or a barbecue indoors.
One warm room
Choose the smallest room you can all fit in. Shut the doors and close the curtains. Hang blankets over the windows and any draughty doors, and put rugs on the floor. Sweden’s emergency advice suggests the same.
The cat already knows which room is warmest. Follow the cat.
Layers
Several thin layers are warmer than one thick one. Add a hat and thick socks, and something warm to sleep in. Be Ready lists warm clothes, blankets and sleeping bags.
Our picks are the Bedsure sherpa fleece throw (Ad) and, for sleeping, the MalloMe sleeping bag (Ad). Indoors, nothing fancier is needed.
Hot water bottles
Worth having, if you can get hot water: from a flask you filled before the power went, or a gas hob that still works. NHS advice on using them safely:
- Don’t fill it with freshly boiled water. Let the water cool to warm first.
- Fill it about two-thirds, then gently squeeze out the air.
- Replace any bottle more than 2 years old. The date is inside the neck.
Warm food and drink
When a storm warning comes, fill a couple of flasks with hot water or a hot drink. Here’s what the weather warnings mean.
Check on others
Older people, babies and anyone who lives alone can get cold faster than you’d think. Knock on the door. If you’re worried about someone’s health, call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency.
In the government’s 2026 survey, 25% of adults said they could manage for a day or less in a power cut that also cut their gas and water. A warm room shared with a neighbour goes a long way.
Don’t
Don't: use a barbecue, camping stove, generator, or gas or paraffin heater indoors. They give off carbon monoxide.
Don't: use candles as your main light.
Don't: go near fallen power lines. Stay well away and call 105.
Call 999 if someone is in immediate danger.
A carbon monoxide alarm
A carbon monoxide alarm is a good idea in any home with a fuel-burning appliance, like a gas boiler, a gas fire or a log burner. Ours is the FireAngel FA3820 (Ad), with a battery that lasts the life of the alarm.
More on the warmth kit page, and what to do when the lights go on the power cut page.