A power cut in summer is an inconvenience. In winter, cold quickly becomes the main problem. Most central heating needs electricity, including gas boilers, which use it for their pumps and controls. Sweden's crisis brochure puts it plainly: your home's indoor temperature will drop quickly if the electricity cuts out during winter.
The good news is that staying warm for a few days needs little special kit. It is mostly blankets, layers and a bit of planning.
What the guides tell you to keep
| Item | Guides that list it (of 24) |
|---|---|
| Blankets and warm clothes | 18 |
| Sleeping bags | 13 |
| Foil survival blankets | 8 |
| A heater that runs without power | 5 (Germany, Sweden, Poland, Austria, Slovakia) |
| Sleeping mats | 4 (Latvia, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia) |
| Carbon monoxide alarm | 2 (Germany, Poland) |
Sweden and Slovakia list the same clothing: wool or outdoor clothes for all weathers, thick socks, hats, gloves and scarves. Slovakia adds a spare pair of warm, waterproof shoes.
Heat one room, not the house
Finland's 72 hours campaign suggests acting once the indoor temperature drops below +15 °C. Every guide that covers this gives the same advice: gather the household in one room and keep that room warm.
- Choose the right room. A small room away from outside walls and corners loses the least heat. Close the doors to the rooms you're not using.
- Cover the windows. Sweden suggests draping blankets over them. Finland suggests thick curtains or blankets.
- Cover the floor. Rugs and carpets stop heat escaping downwards. Sweden, Slovakia and Finland all mention this.
- Stop draughts. Block gaps under doors with towels or rugs. Keep the front door shut: heat escapes every time it opens.
- Dress in layers. Several thin layers trap more warmth than one thick one. Add a hat and gloves indoors if you need them.
Sleeping warm
Night is when the cold bites most. Finland's advice is practical: move the beds into the warmest room, use every duvet and blanket you have, and sleep side by side under shared covers. One person, it notes, gives off about as much heat as a 70-watt light bulb. It also suggests building a blanket tent around a table, or pitching a camping tent indoors, to hold that warmth close.
A sleeping bag rated for low temperatures does a lot of the work on its own. Put a mat or folded blankets underneath: a cold floor draws heat out of you faster than the air does. Sweden lists sleeping mats alongside sleeping bags for this reason.
Keep a few foil survival blankets as well. They fold to wallet size and can go under a duvet or around someone who is chilled.
Warm food and drink help
If you have a camping stove, hot drinks and hot water bottles make a real difference. Finland suggests heating water for hot water bottles on a portable stove. Use the stove outdoors or with good ventilation. Finland also adds a reminder worth repeating: alcohol will not keep you warm.
A backup heater, used safely
Five guides list a heater that works without mains power, usually gas or paraffin. If you buy one, choose a model rated for indoor use, ideally with an oxygen depletion sensor. Then follow the official safety rules:
- Let fresh air in. Sweden says to open a window to let in breathable air. Slovakia says to air the room regularly so oxygen gets in.
- Switch it off before you sleep. Both Sweden and Slovakia say this, for heaters and candles alike.
- Keep it away from anything that burns, and keep a fire extinguisher or fire blanket within reach.
- Fit a carbon monoxide alarm. Germany and Poland recommend one in any home that heats or cooks with gas.
Never bring a barbecue, outdoor heater or generator inside
They produce carbon monoxide, which you can't see or smell, and it can kill in an enclosed room.
Food, water and the freezer
- Keep the freezer shut. A closed freezer keeps food frozen for about a day.
- In cold weather, Finland and Slovakia suggest storing perishable food outside, well protected from birds and animals.
- Water may keep running for a while, but pumps need power. Fill containers while you still have pressure. Our guide to a water supply cut covers what to do if it stops.
- When the power is off, switch off the oven, iron and other appliances. Finland warns they can start a fire when the power comes back.
Look after the people most at risk
Babies, older people and anyone with a heart or lung condition feel the cold first. Check on neighbours who live alone, and agree in advance who will look in on whom. Our posts on older people and babies go into more detail.
Get ready before the first frost
Most of this costs nothing if you sort it in autumn. Find the blankets and sleeping bags and keep them together. Decide which room you'd use. Check the batteries in your torch and radio. Our power cut checklist covers the rest, and the household checklist sizes blankets and sleeping bags for everyone at home.