How to keep warm without heating during a power cut
To keep warm without heating, move everyone into one small room, close the doors and curtains, block draughts, dress in layers (including a hat), and use blankets and sleeping bags. Drink something warm, eat regularly and keep moving. Never use a barbecue, camping stove, gas oven or generator indoors to heat the house.
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Step 1: pick one room and seal it
Heat escapes through walls, windows and gaps, and a big open space loses it fastest. Choose a small room, ideally on the sunny side and away from outside walls, and make it your base:
- Close internal doors to unused rooms.
- Close curtains and blinds as soon as it gets dark; open them on sunny days to let the sun in.
- Block gaps under doors with a draught excluder or a rolled towel.
- Cover single-glazed windows with a blanket, bubble wrap or cardboard at night.
- Put rugs or blankets on cold floors.
- Gather everyone together: people give off heat.
Step 2: dress in layers
| Layer | What to wear | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Thermal top and leggings (wool or synthetic, not cotton) | Keeps skin dry and warm |
| Middle | Fleece or wool jumper | Traps warm air |
| Outer | A down or synthetic jacket indoors if needed | Blocks heat loss |
| Extremities | Hat, thick socks, slippers, fingerless gloves | You lose a lot of comfort through head, hands and feet |
| Night | Sleeping bag, blankets, hat | Keeps heat in while you sleep |
Several thin layers are warmer than one thick one, and you can adjust them as you move.
Step 3: sleep warm
Nights are the hardest part of a winter outage. A sleeping bag is far warmer than a duvet because it closes around you. Look at the comfort rating (European sleeping bags are tested to EN ISO 23537): around 0 °C (32 °F) comfort is plenty indoors. Layer a wool blanket underneath, as cold rises from the floor and mattress. An emergency bivvy bag inside or around the sleeping bag adds warmth in very cold conditions. Wear a hat and dry socks to bed.
Step 4: warm from inside
- Eat regularly. Your body produces heat by digesting food. High-energy snacks help.
- Drink warm drinks. Fill a vacuum flask with boiling water while you still have power, or heat water on a camping stove outdoors.
- Use a hot water bottle if you can heat water safely. Fill it with hot, not boiling, water and use a cover.
- Move. A few minutes of walking up and down the stairs warms you up quickly.
- Avoid alcohol. It makes you feel warm while you lose heat.
Safe sources of heat
If you have stored power, a USB heated blanket draws far less energy than a heater and runs from a power bank or power station. Hand warmers are cheap and safe. Electric heaters are usually too power-hungry for batteries: a 2,000 W heater would empty a 1 kWh power station in about half an hour.
Germany’s BBK lists off-grid heaters (gas heaters, paraffin stoves, ethanol fireplaces) in its preparedness checklists, and Sweden’s agency mentions kerosene and LPG heaters with adequate ventilation. If you choose one, use only appliances designed for indoor use, follow the instructions exactly, ventilate, and fit a carbon monoxide alarm.
Never heat your home with a barbecue, camping stove, gas oven, patio heater or generator. They produce carbon monoxide, which has no smell and can kill in minutes. Generators must run outside, well away from windows and doors.
Who is most at risk
Babies, older people, and people with heart or lung disease, diabetes or limited mobility lose heat faster and may not notice it. The NHS recommends heating the rooms you use to at least 18 °C (64 °F) if you can. In an outage, check on older neighbours, keep babies in a warm room with layers (no hats while sleeping indoors, follow safe-sleep advice), and call 112 if anyone shows signs of hypothermia.
Signs of hypothermia
- Shivering that is hard to stop, or shivering that stops while the person is still cold.
- Pale, cold skin; blue lips.
- Confusion, slurred speech, unusual drowsiness.
- Slow breathing or a weak pulse.
Move the person somewhere warmer, remove wet clothes, wrap them in blankets including the head, give warm (not hot) sweet drinks if they are fully alert, and get medical help.
Protect your home too
- Pipes can freeze in a long cold outage. Know where your stopcock is, and if the house will be unheated for days in freezing weather, consider draining the system.
- Unplug appliances so a power surge on restoration can’t damage them.
The winter warmth kit
| Product | Best for | Key spec | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeping bag, comfort ≈ 0 °C (32 °F) | One per person | The single biggest upgrade | Check price on Amazon |
| Thermal base layer set | Everyone | Wool or synthetic | Check price on Amazon |
| Wool blanket | Under and over you | Warm even when damp | Check price on Amazon |
| Hot water bottle with cover | Beds and laps | Reusable | Check price on Amazon |
| USB heated blanket | Runs from a power bank | Low power draw | Check price on Amazon |
| Hand warmers | Pockets and gloves | Single-use or rechargeable | Check price on Amazon |
| Vacuum flask | Hot drinks for hours | 1 L (34 fl oz) | Check price on Amazon |
We don’t list prices because they change often. Use the button to see the current price on Amazon.
These are the core of our winter storm kit. For the blackout itself, see what to do in a power blackout.
Questions people ask
What is the fastest way to warm up without heating?
Put on a hat and extra layers, get into a sleeping bag or under blankets, have a warm drink and something to eat, and move around for a few minutes. Share a room and blankets with others.
How cold is too cold indoors?
The NHS advises heating rooms you use to at least 18 °C (64 °F) if you can. Below that, babies, older people and people with heart or lung conditions are at greater risk, so act early.
Can I use a gas camping heater indoors?
Only appliances designed and certified for indoor use, used exactly as instructed, with ventilation and a carbon monoxide alarm. Never use barbecues, patio heaters, camping stoves or generators indoors.
Are emergency foil blankets warm?
They reflect body heat and block wind, which helps in an emergency, especially as a layer inside a sleeping bag or under a blanket. On their own they are not a substitute for proper bedding.
What are the signs of hypothermia?
Intense shivering, cold pale skin, confusion, slurred speech, drowsiness and slow breathing. In babies, cold skin, floppiness, unusual quietness or refusing to feed. Call 112 and warm the person gradually.
Keep reading
- /kits/winter-storm/
- Emergency kit for apartments and small flats
- /what-to-do-in-a-power-blackout/
- /best-portable-power-station/