The government's Be Ready checklist puts it plainly: torches are safer than candles, and homes cool quickly without heating. This guide covers what to keep for light, how to stay warm, and the mistakes that put people in hospital during winter power cuts.
Light
Choosing a torch
You do not need a tactical anything. A simple LED torch of 100 to 300 lumens with a wide beam is ideal for the home. Look for a model that takes standard batteries rather than a sealed rechargeable pack, so you can swap in fresh cells. Head torches with a red mode are kind on everyone's eyes at 3 a.m. Keep one torch by the bed and the rest with the kit.
Lanterns
A battery LED lantern gives even light to a whole room, which matters for a family sitting out an evening. Many run for 30 hours or more on a set of batteries, and the collapsible ones pack down to the size of a mug.
Fire services see a spike in house fires every time there is a major power cut, and candles are the usual cause. If you must use them: a proper holder on a plate, away from curtains and children, never in a bedroom, and blown out before you leave the room. Better: don't.
Warmth
Most UK heating stops the moment the electricity does, including gas boilers, which need power for their controls. In winter an average house drops to an uncomfortable temperature within three to six hours. The aim is to keep people warm, not rooms.
How to keep warm in a cold house
Pick one room
Everyone in one small room, ideally south-facing with the fewest external walls. Shut the door. Body heat from four people in a small room is worth a radiator.
Stop the draughts
Towels along door bottoms, curtains closed at dusk, blinds down. Open curtains on sunny windows during the day and close them the moment the sun goes.
Layer up early
Hat, layers, socks and a blanket before you feel cold. It is far easier to stay warm than to get warm again.
Eat and drink
Warm drinks if you can heat water safely; otherwise regular snacks. The body needs fuel to make heat.
Move
A few minutes of movement every hour. Sitting still for a whole evening in the cold is how people get into trouble.
Watch the vulnerable
Babies, older people and anyone with heart or lung conditions get cold faster and notice it less. Check on them, and on neighbours who live alone.
Heating safely
Barbecues, camping stoves, patio heaters, petrol generators and disposable barbecues produce carbon monoxide, which is colourless, odourless and deadly in a closed room. Every winter, people die using them to warm a house during a power cut. Keep them outside, well away from windows and doors.
A serviced open fire or wood burner is a genuine asset in a power cut if you have one; keep a small store of dry fuel. A fixed gas fire that lights with a piezo igniter will work. Portable gas or paraffin heaters are a last resort and need a cracked window and a working carbon monoxide alarm.
If someone gets very cold
Shivering, confusion, slurred speech and drowsiness are signs of hypothermia. Move the person to the warmest spot, remove damp clothing, wrap them in blankets including their head, and give warm sweet drinks if they are fully alert. Call 999 if they are confused or drowsy. Warm them gradually; no hot baths or direct heat on the skin.
Our torch, lantern and battery picks are on the recommended kit page. None of the links on this site currently earn us a commission; if that changes we will say so.
Common questions
Why not candles?
House fires rise sharply during power cuts, and candles are the usual cause: knocked over in the dark, left near curtains, or forgotten when the power returns. LED torches and lanterns are brighter, cheaper to run and cannot start a fire. If you do use candles, keep them in a sturdy holder on a plate, never leave the room, and never let children or pets near them.
Which batteries should I keep?
Standardise. Choose torches and a radio that all take AA or all take AAA, buy good-quality alkaline or lithium batteries, and keep them sealed in the kit. Rechargeables are good for daily use but self-discharge in storage, so keep alkalines as the emergency set.
Can I use my gas fire or a portable gas heater?
A fixed gas fire that lights without electricity is fine if it has been serviced. Portable gas or paraffin heaters need ventilation and a working carbon monoxide alarm. Never use a camping stove, barbecue or generator indoors to heat a room.
Does the boiler work in a power cut?
Almost never. Gas boilers need electricity for the controls and pump, and heat pumps are entirely electric. Plan to keep people warm rather than the house.