Winter Power Outage: How to Stay Safe and Warm
A winter power cut is more than an inconvenience — when the heating stops and the temperature drops, the two real dangers are cold and carbon monoxide from unsafe heating. The
A winter power cut is more than an inconvenience — when the heating stops and the temperature drops, the two real dangers are cold and carbon monoxide from unsafe heating. The good news: with a little calm preparation, a winter outage is something your household can ride out safely.
Here's the practical, no-panic guide — based on guidance from FEMA's Ready.gov and the CDC — to staying warm, avoiding the deadly mistakes, and protecting your home and the people in it.
The quick version
- Warm up one room, layer clothing, and use blankets — heat people, not the whole house.
- Never run a generator, grill, camp stove, or charcoal indoors or in the garage — carbon monoxide kills.
- Protect your pipes — let taps drip, open cabinet doors, know your main shut-off.
- Watch infants and older adults closely for signs of cold stress.
1. Stay warm — heat people, not the house
You don't need to keep the whole home warm — just your household. Concentrate heat and body warmth in one room:
- Pick one room (ideally a small, interior one) and close it off. Hang blankets over windows and doorways to trap heat.
- Layer up — several thin layers trap more warmth than one thick one. Hats and socks matter; a lot of heat is lost through the head and feet.
- Use blankets and sleeping bags, and share body heat — gather the family (and pets) together.
- Insulate — roll towels against door gaps, close curtains at night, open them to any winter sun by day.
2. The deadly mistake: carbon monoxide
This is the single most important section, so read it twice. Every winter, people die not from the cold but from carbon monoxide (CO) — an invisible, odourless gas from burning fuel.
Never, ever, for any length of time:
- Run a generator indoors, in a garage, or near a window — only outside, well away from the house (Ready.gov).
- Use a charcoal or gas grill, camp stove, or any outdoor cooker indoors.
- Heat your home with a gas oven or stovetop.
- Burn anything in a fireplace or stove that isn't designed and vented for it.
Install a battery-powered carbon monoxide alarm if you don't have one. If your CO alarm sounds, or anyone feels dizzy, headachy, or nauseous, get everyone outside into fresh air immediately and call emergency services (CDC — Carbon Monoxide).
Want to know if your home is ready for winter — before you need it? The free Resilience Score takes about three minutes and shows your specific gaps, including heating and safety. → Take the Resilience Score
3. Protect your pipes
Frozen pipes can burst and cause expensive damage. When the heat's off in freezing weather:
- Let cold taps drip slightly — moving water is far less likely to freeze.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks so warmer room air reaches the pipes.
- Know where your main water shut-off is, so you can stop the flow fast if a pipe does burst.
4. Food, water and the cold outside
The usual rules apply (see our power-outage checklist): keep the fridge and freezer closed — a fridge holds for about 4 hours, a full freezer about 48.
Winter has one upside: the cold outside is a free fridge. In freezing weather you can move food to a sealed cooler outdoors (out of the sun and away from animals). Don't eat snow for hydration as-is — it lowers your body temperature; melt and, if needed, treat it first (see emergency water storage).
5. Watch for cold stress — especially the vulnerable
Infants and older adults lose heat fastest and are most at risk. Check on them often, and on elderly neighbours.
Know the signs of hypothermia — shivering, slurred speech, drowsiness, confusion, fumbling hands. In infants, watch for bright red or cold skin and very low energy. If you see these signs, warm the person gradually (dry blankets, warm core, warm drinks if alert) and seek medical help (CDC — Hypothermia).
6. If your home gets too cold to stay
If you can't keep a safe temperature, don't tough it out — go to a warming centre, a relative's, or a friend's home with power. Decide your "we leave if…" threshold in advance, and keep your car's fuel tank at least half full in winter so leaving is always an option.
Your winter outage checklist
- [ ] Blankets, sleeping bags, warm layers, hats and socks
- [ ] One room you can close off and warm
- [ ] Battery carbon-monoxide alarm
- [ ] Generator/grill/stove used outdoors only — never inside
- [ ] Plan to drip taps + know your water shut-off
- [ ] Torch, power bank, battery radio (see the emergency kit)
- [ ] A warm place to go + half-full fuel tank
Frequently asked questions
How do you stay warm in a power outage without heat?
Close off and warm one room, layer clothing, use blankets and shared body heat, and block draughts. Heat the people, not the whole house.
Is it safe to run a generator indoors in winter?
No — never indoors or in a garage. Generators (and grills and camp stoves) produce carbon monoxide, which is deadly. Run a generator outside only, away from windows.
How do I keep my pipes from freezing during an outage?
Let cold taps drip, open cabinet doors so warm air reaches the pipes, and know where your main water shut-off is in case one bursts.
How long does food last in the fridge during a winter outage?
About 4 hours in the fridge and 48 in a full freezer if kept closed — and in freezing weather you can use a sealed outdoor cooler.
Winter is just one scenario — pair this with a power-outage plan, a stocked emergency kit, and a proper water supply. To see exactly where your household stands in three minutes, take the free Resilience Score.