Emergency Heating Options: Staying Warm Without Power

When extreme cold hits and the power dies, heating becomes a survival priority. Some heaters are safe indoors, some are absolutely not, and some warming methods require no devices at all. This guide covers all three so you can stay alive without burning your house down or filling it with carbon monoxide.

If you need broader winter-readiness guidance, see Extreme Cold Prep Basics.

1. Indoor-Safe Heating Options

Only use heaters that are **explicitly rated for indoor use**. Anything else can kill you. Safe categories include:

• Catalytic propane heaters rated for indoor use
• Kerosene heaters with UL indoor certifications
• Portable electric heaters powered by generators or battery stations (generator stays outside)
• Indoor-rated butane stoves used with pans or kettles for “heat cooking”

If a heater doesn’t specifically say “indoor safe,” assume it’s deadly indoors.

2. Ventilation Rules for Indoor-Safe Combustion Heaters

Even indoor-safe devices need ventilation:

• Crack a window 1–2 inches
• Keep a carbon monoxide detector nearby
• Never leave the heater running while asleep

Indoor-safe doesn’t mean risk-free—just safer than the alternatives.

3. Heat Sources You Must Keep Outdoors

These heat sources are **never** safe indoors due to carbon monoxide and fire risk:

• Charcoal grills
• Propane grills
• Camp stoves not rated for indoor use
• Fire pits, chimineas, or wood-burning fire bowls
• Patio heaters

Use them outdoors only, far from walls, siding, or open windows.

4. Passive Ways to Retain Body Heat

These methods require no fuel, no electricity, and work anywhere:

• Wear multiple layers (base, insulating, outer shell)
• Use blankets, sleeping bags, and quilts for insulation
• Tuck pants into socks to trap heat
• Use hats and gloves—most heat is lost from extremities
• Drink warm liquids to raise core temperature

Passive heat retention is your foundation—everything else is bonus.

5. Heating a Single Room Instead of the Whole House

When energy is limited, warm a small area instead of fighting the entire home. Choose:

• A room with the fewest windows
• Interior spaces away from drafts
• Rooms you can seal with towels or tape

Close doors, hang blankets over openings, and section the room off to trap heat.

6. Boiling Water for Heat (Indoor-Safe Methods Only)

Heating water creates steam and radiant heat. Boil water indoors only using:

• Electric cooktops (battery or generator-powered)
• Indoor-rated butane burners

Pouring hot water into bottles and stuffing them into blankets provides direct warmth.

7. Using Your Car for Warmth (With Strict Limits)

A car provides temporary heat if used correctly:

• Run the engine periodically, not constantly
• Crack a window for ventilation
• Ensure the exhaust pipe is completely clear of snow
• Never sleep in a running vehicle

Cars produce deadly CO if any snow blocks the tailpipe.

8. Hot Water Bottles, Stones, and Improvised Warmers

Simple low-tech warmers work extremely well:

• Fill metal bottles with hot water and wrap them in cloth
• Heat rocks outdoors and bring them inside wrapped (never directly from fire to indoors—CO exposure)
• Use chemical hand warmers

9. Avoiding Hypothermia Indoors

Even inside a home, hypothermia is possible during multi-day cold outages. Warning signs include:

• Shivering that won’t stop
• Slurred speech
• Clumsiness
• Drowsiness

At the first signs, add layers, drink something warm, and increase heat safely.

10. Heat Sources to Never Improvise

Desperation leads people to do dangerous things. Avoid:

• Burning furniture or trash indoors
• Heating bricks or rocks in an oven
• Using the oven or stovetop as a heater
• Running generators in garages or patios

These methods routinely cause fatal CO poisonings or fires during winter storms.