How To Stay Warm During A Power Outage

Power outages aren’t fun, especially when they take you by surprise. And they are even a lot worse when they happen during the winter season when it is very cold. Walking outside and going about your normal business during the winter can be a lot bearable when you know you’ll be coming back to a warm, cosy home.

However, this hope can be squashed by an unexpected power outage (or even the one you know about). In such cases, you will have to find ways on how to stay warm during a power outage for your family’s sake and yours. During the winter when the home requires electricity to generate heat, a power outage can lead to a lot of problems if you do not know how to get a handle on things.

I have put together a list of tips on how to stay warm during a power outage. These tips will help you learn clever ways on how to stay warm during a power outage.

How Do You Stay Warm During A Power Outage?

Conserve Heat

The first thing you should do when the power goes out is to trap the heat inside the house. You want to make sure you stop all the heat from getting out in order to keep the house as warm as possible. There are a number of ways you can do this:

  • You can block drafts by covering the base of doors with blankets or towels. Roll up thick clothes or towels and stuff them under the doors that lead outside. This is will prevent cold from getting in and the heat from getting out.
  • If the power outage goes on for a long time, you and your household should move into one room. It’s usually best to move into the living room because there will be enough space to accommodate everyone. Once in there, shut all the interior doors leading to the room to conserve heat. Moving all your activities into a specific room helps increase the heat level as well.
  • If the house remains cold still, and you own a tent, it will help to set it up inside the living room. Sleeping in a tent will help keep the cold out, the same way it does when you’re out camping. Also, tents offer smaller spaces which makes it easy to share and circulate body heat.
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Put On Layers Of Clothing

Regardless of the fact that you’re stuck inside the house without electricity, you will have to dress up like you’re out in the cold. Putting on skimpy clothing will not help in the least, hence, you must put on layers of clothes. It is necessary to cover all your body parts in order to keep warm. Put on your socks, thermal underwear, head warmer capable of covering your ears, heavy clothes, and possibly gloves.

Make Use Of The Fireplace

 

Fireplaces are built to keep the house warm, so they will serve in that capacity when the electricity is out. If you have either a gas fireplace or a wood fireplace, you have to keep them prepped and ready in case of emergencies. If you have a gas fireplace, you should keep a backup battery handy so that it can serve you through the blackout. If you own a wood fireplace, then you must keep it in top condition by inspecting it and having it cleaned before winter comes. You also need to keep enough wood stored that can serve you through any type of emergencies.

If you are not sure the wood you have stored will carry you through the power outage, then you need to conserve them as much as possible. You can do that by firing up the fireplace at intervals, letting the room cool a little in between use. For safety reasons, keep every flammable item far from the fireplace.

Burn Candles

Making use of candles is another way of keeping the house warm during a power outage. Of course, one candle will not do, so you need to use quite a few. If the cause of the power outage is a storm, it means going out to the store is out of the question. This means that it can be wise to be prepared by keeping candles stocked up in the house.

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However, burning candles to warm the home can be dangerous if not done properly. Flammable items can easily catch fire when placed close to burning candles and that can become deadly. Hence, you need to use candles in places where they can not be knocked over, and also keep flammable items away from them.

Use A Portable Generator

Standby generators are great to have. During a power outage, having a standby generator can be just what you need to fight through the discomfort. Standby generators are cued to automatically come on when there’s a blackout.

A cheaper option is a backup generator that is powered by gasoline. Having a backup generator work for you in times of emergencies, means you have to have gasoline stocked in the premises. While gasoline-powered generators are great for powering up your home, they can be dangerous if certain precautions are not taken.

The generator must not be turned on inside the house or the garage. This is because generators produce carbon monoxide gas which is very dangerous especially when inhaled. As a result, generators should only be put on in a well-ventilated space outside your house. Also, the exhaust should be turned away from the house so the gas doesn’t come close.

Ingest Warm Food And Liquids

A great way to keep your insides warm is by taking in warm food and drinks. Taking in cold drinks and food while trying to conserve heat is a terrible idea. Drinking hot coffee, soup, hot chocolate, tea, and other beverage of choice will keep your body warm. You should keep drinking frequently to keep up your body temperature.

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When you get hungry, you should also try to eat something warm.

Invest In A Portable Heater

Portable non-electric heaters can warm your room sufficiently when the power is out. When purchasing a heater, ensure it is safe for indoor use in order to avoid the building up of carbon monoxide.

Conclusion

Power outages can become deadly, especially to individuals who are vulnerable to the loss of heat. Knowing how to keep your home warm during a power outage is a very important skill to learn. And ‘knowing’ means understanding the need for preparation.

Know the things you will need in case of this emergency and stock up on them. Get a backup generator, buy candles, install a fireplace, or purchase anything else you will need in the event of a power outage.