How to Stay Warm During a Winter Power Cut

When the heating stops, a house or flat can lose heat faster than many people expect — especially in older buildings, rooms with single glazing, or homes that rely entirely on electric heating or a boiler that needs electricity to run.

Official Prepare guidance for power cuts is straightforward: keep warm by using blankets and layered clothing. Keep doors of unused rooms closed and close curtains to keep the heat in. It also states that older adults, babies and young children, and people with long-term health problems are most likely to become ill if they get too cold.

This is not a reason to panic, and it is not a reason to bring a barbecue into the kitchen.

Use what you already own

Be Ready’s light-and-warmth list is a torch (with spare batteries) plus blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothing. Many households already have spare duvets, hats, thick socks and a blanket on the sofa. Gathering those into one easy-to-reach place, before you need them, is more useful than buying specialist gear at the last minute.

Layering works because several thinner layers trap air. Closing internal doors and curtains reduces draughts. Unused rooms can be shut so you are heating, with your own body heat and any remaining stored warmth, a smaller space.

A torch matters here too. Official pages say torches are safer than candles. In a cold house it is tempting to light every candle you own; resist that temptation, especially if children, pets or anyone who might fall asleep is nearby.

Look out for the people official guidance flags

Prepare explicitly names older adults, babies and young children, and people with long-term health problems as more likely to become ill if they get too cold. If that describes someone in your home, or a neighbour who lives alone, plan extra blankets and a check-in. Official advice also encourages checking on neighbours and sharing spare blankets or clothing if you can.

If you or someone you care for needs extra support from energy or water companies, ask about the Priority Services Register (Customer Care Registers in Northern Ireland). Official pages say that wherever possible you should receive advance notice of scheduled cuts, and that the register can provide priority support in an emergency.

What not to do

A cold house can push people towards unsafe heat. UK official sources are clear about the carbon monoxide risk:

UKHSA notes that carbon monoxide is produced when fuels burn without enough oxygen, and lists barbecues and portable generators used inside homes, caravans and tents as important examples.
GOV.UK fire safety advice says never use a barbecue indoors, in a tent, under an awning or in a caravan.
The Food Standards Agency, writing about cooking during a power cut, says camping stoves, barbecues or bottled-gas stoves should be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions because most are designed for outdoor use only.

HSENI advice on portable generators says not to use them indoors or in partly enclosed spaces, including homes, garages and crawl spaces, even with some ventilation, and not to operate them near open doors and windows.

Carbon monoxide has no taste or smell. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, or you think there is a leak, official UKHSA advice is to stop using appliances, leave the property, call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 or the HSE Gas Safety Advice Line on 0800 300 363, and get medical help. If you feel unwell, use NHS 111 or 999 in an emergency.

A working, audible carbon monoxide alarm that meets British or European standards (BS Kitemark or EN 50291) is described by UKHSA as a helpful protection against high levels — and not a substitute for using appliances correctly.

Food, drink and rest

You do not need a hot meal to get through a short cut. Official three-day food advice emphasises items that do not need cooking. If you do cook, do it safely and outdoors with equipment designed for that job.

Keep fridge and freezer doors closed, following Food Standards Agency guidance. Warm clothes matter more than opening the freezer “just to see”.

Sip water from your stored drinking supply. Official drinking-water advice remains 3 litres per person per day.

After the heating returns

Give rooms time to warm evenly. Check on anyone you were worried about. If you used extra blankets from a “just in case” pile, put them back where you can find them next time.

For the wider outage checklist see How to prepare for a power cut in the UK.

Sources

Open the 72-hour kit builder · Free checklists and official links