ThePreppersBlueprint.com

Build a plan for water, food, power and security, then buy only gear that earns it

Power Outages and Heating Guide: Safe Warmth, Food and Checklist

Maybe the lights went out during a storm and the house is already getting cold. Maybe the storm is still coming and you want a plan before it hits. Either way, you need a safe way to stay warm, food you can trust, and a plan for the fridge and freezer.

The short answer: keep the fridge and freezer shut, never heat your home with a gas oven or stove, and run any generator outdoors and well away from windows and doors. This guide takes you through each step in order, with the official rules and what to check before you buy a heater or power product.

Fridge with the door kept closed Keeps food cold for about 4 hours (Ready.gov)
Full freezer Keeps its temperature for about 48 hours (Ready.gov)
Food discard rule Throw out food kept at 40 degrees or higher for two hours or more, or food with an unusual odor, color or texture (Ready.gov)
Generator placement Outdoors only, at least 20 feet from windows, doors and attached garages (Ready.gov)
Gas stove or oven Do not use it to heat your home (Ready.gov)
Space heater Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away, and turn it off when you leave the room or go to bed (USFA)
Refrigerated medicine If the power is out more than a day, discard it unless the label says otherwise (Ready.gov)
Portable heater fires 3% of home heating fires in 2017 to 2019, but 41% of fatal home heating fires (USFA)

Where are you starting?

Step 1: Stay warm without fire or gas indoors

You are cold and the furnace is off. Start by making sure your heat source is not a hazard to your household.

No official source here names one best heat source for every home. What the agencies agree on is what to avoid. Ready.gov says not to use a gas stove or oven to heat your home, because it raises the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, fire and burns. USFA gives the same warning about ovens.

Heat or cooking source What the agencies say
Gas stove or oven Do not use to heat your home (Ready.gov)
Generator, camp stove or charcoal grill Use outdoors and at least 20 feet from windows (Ready.gov)
Space heater Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away; turn off when leaving the room or going to bed (USFA)
Fireplace or wood stove Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away (USFA)
Community location with power Go there if the heat or cold is extreme; check with local officials for open locations (Ready.gov)

The USFA reports that portable heaters caused only 3% of home heating fires in 2017 to 2019, yet 41% of fatal ones. That is why the rules about clearance and switching off matter so much.

What this means for you: If you use a space heater, keep 3 feet of clear space, and turn it off before you sleep or leave the room. Never heat the house with the oven.

Carbon monoxide is the hidden risk. Ready.gov calls it a colorless, odorless gas that can kill you, your family and pets, so the carbon monoxide alarm guide below covers placement and testing.

Read next

Winter Storm Preparedness Guide: alternative heating, pipe protection and vehicle kits in one plan.

Once you know your heat is safe, the next question is the food in your fridge and freezer.

Step 2: Keep the fridge, freezer and medicine safe

Your fridge is starting to warm and you need to know what to keep. Start with the door: keep it closed.

Ready.gov says the refrigerator keeps food cold for about four hours, and a full freezer keeps its temperature for about 48 hours. Use a thermometer to check temperatures, and use coolers with ice if you need them. Throw out food that has been at 40 degrees or higher for two hours or more.

Medicine needs its own check. If the power is out more than a day, Ready.gov says to discard any medicine that should be refrigerated, unless the drug label says otherwise. Ask your doctor or pharmacist right away for a new supply.

What this means for you: Write down when the power went out. That one time lets you judge the fridge, the freezer and the medicine against the official clocks above.

The full decision rules are in the refrigerated food discard guide, and the fridge and freezer record sheet helps you log times. Ready.gov also says to talk to your medical provider about a plan for refrigerated medicines and powered medical devices.

Read next

Refrigerated Food Discard Guide: when food must go, and when it can stay.

With food and medicine sorted, the next step is light and phone power for the night.

Step 3: Light the house and keep phones working

It is dark and you need to see what you are doing. Plan light and communication before the dark hours.

Ready.gov advises having flashlights for every household member, and checking whether your home phone will work in an outage and how long its battery backup lasts. It also suggests planning batteries and other power sources, such as a portable charger or power bank. Ready.gov’s kids page adds battery-powered or rechargeable lanterns and head lamps as options.

Read the room-by-room backup lighting walkthrough to place each light. Choose a radio that works when cell towers go down, and check how you will get emergency alerts through more than one channel.

What this means for you: At night, keep a light by every bed and a way to get updates on a battery or hand-crank radio. Ready.gov also says to unplug appliances, because power can return with surges that damage electronics.

Read next

Backup Lighting Room-by-Room Walkthrough: where each light goes and how to use it safely.

If you want power for a fridge, a few lights or a phone for longer than a battery lasts, the next step is a generator or portable power.

Step 4: Run a generator or portable power safely

You want more than lights. Before you start any generator, know where it goes and where its exhaust goes.

Ready.gov says generators and fuel should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows, doors and attached garages. Keep the generator dry and protected from rain, because touching a wet generator can cause shock. Use heavy-duty extension cords, let the generator cool before refueling, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Install working carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home, with battery backup in central locations. Read the carbon monoxide alarm placement and testing guide before you need it.

Generator rule What Ready.gov says
Location Outdoors only, 20 feet or more from windows, doors and attached garages
Detectors Working carbon monoxide detectors on every level, with battery backup
Cords Heavy-duty extension cords for connected appliances
Refueling Let the generator cool first; spilled fuel on a hot engine can ignite

What this means for you: If you cannot place the generator 20 feet from every window, door and attached garage, do not run it. Pick a plan from the power sizing guide instead.

Size the load before you buy. The backup power load calculation guide shows how to list what you need to run. The portable power station guide covers the battery options, and the generator comparison sets out portable, inverter and standby types.

Read next

Generator Carbon Monoxide and Cord Safety: placement, carbon monoxide and extension-cord questions answered.

Power is only one part of the outage. Water and supplies come next.

Step 5: Stock water, food and supplies before you need them

Your tap water may not be safe to drink during an outage, and the store shelves may already be empty. Stock up now, while you have the time.

Ready.gov says power outages can disrupt water, and can cause food spoilage and water contamination. Its advice is to have enough nonperishable food and water. The kids’ safety guide adds flashlights, extra batteries and a battery or hand-crank radio.

Start with the 72-hour food and water list, then compare the food and water storage guide. Learn how to purify water in an emergency, keep an first aid kit with the right items, and see how to freeze water containers safely. The ice box alternatives guide covers cold storage without power.

On toilets, the flush during a power outage guide explains the water question step by step. The sources here do not cover filling a bathtub before a storm, so ask your water utility what it recommends. If you are comparing water products, the Smart Water Box review and the Water Freedom System review set out price, refund and buyer checks.

What this means for you: Treat any water from a tap during an outage as something to check before drinking, and keep a stored supply on hand so you do not have to test it under stress.

Read next

72-Hour Food, Water and Supply List: what to stock for three days at home.

If you are shopping for a heater or a heating product, check the seller first. That is the next step.

Step 6: Check any heater or heating product before you buy

You saw a heater ad and want to know whether it is legit and safe. Check the seller and the product page before you pay.

The See the Ultra Air Heater guide. The Gogo heater is covered in the where-to-buy and warning signs guide and the scam or legit guide.

A seller’s page is the seller’s statement, not an agency check. The USFA publishes heater fire-safety rules, not product ratings, so the clearance and switch-off rules from Step 1 apply to any space heater you buy. Check the refund and returns terms in writing before you pay.

What this means for you: Before you order, confirm the seller name, the price including shipping, the refund window and how to cancel. If any of those are hard to find, that is a warning sign in itself.

Claims on product pages are not the same as independent review. A 2023 narrative review indexed in PubMed argues that FDA oversight of dietary supplements has been limited, with 79,071 adverse events reported to the FDA between 2004 and 2021. For dietary-supplement claims, the guide to marketing claims versus evidence explains what to look for.

Read next

Ultra Air Heater Review: Price, Running Cost, Refund: the seller’s terms and buyer checks.

Some people in your home may need more than a warm room. That is the next step.

Step 7: Plan for people, pets and medical devices

Someone in your home needs power for a medical device, a medicine, or a wheelchair. Plan for them before the power goes out.

Ready.gov says to talk to your medical provider about a plan for medical devices powered by electricity and for refrigerated medicines. Ask how long each medicine can be kept at higher temperatures, and get specific guidance for any medicine that is critical for life. Ready.gov also says to find out how long backup batteries last for a machine or wheelchair. The kids’ guide says that if a person needs power for medical equipment, they should leave for a safer place.

Do not change a medicine or a device setting because of this guide. Ask the prescriber or the device maker. For a household plan, the stairs guide for a family member covers mobility, and the printed emergency contacts card keeps numbers on paper.

What this means for you: Write down each powered device, its battery backup time, and the phone number for its maker and your prescriber. Keep that sheet with your emergency documents.

For infants and pets, see the infant feeding and water records guide, the pet water storage plan and the pet emergency plan. Keep copies of key papers using the emergency documents copies guide and the kit documents update guide.

Read next

Family Member Cannot Use Stairs During an Outage: a plan for mobility limits.

Last step: the power is back, or a storm warning is out. You need to know whether to stay or go.

Step 8: Decide whether to stay, leave or return

The power may come back, or a warning may tell you to move. Work through the decision before you act.

Ready.gov says to throw away any food kept at 40 degrees or higher for two hours or more, and any food with an unusual odor, color or texture. The kids’ guide says to check what was unplugged and make sure food is still safe. If the heat or cold is extreme, listen to local news for open heating or cooling locations, or go to a community location with power.

For the staying or leaving decision, the staying put or leaving worksheet gives you a set of questions. Check roads before you go with the evacuation route and road closure guide. Know the warning terms in the severe weather watch and warning card, and practice the home fire escape plan. If you leave the home, the home break-in protection guide covers securing the house.

What this means for you: If the power is back, check the fridge and freezer, and keep the food record you started in Step 2.

Some questions the sources here cannot settle: the legal limit on how long you can be without power, the cause of today’s outage, and California-specific rules. For those, check your utility’s outage page and your county or city emergency office.

Read next

Staying Put or Leaving Decision Worksheet: a set of questions for the stay-or-go decision.

Your next step

  1. Check your heat source against the rules in Step 1, and make sure no gas oven or stove is heating the house.
  2. Set up the fridge and freezer record and the food discard rule from Step 2.
  3. Place battery lights, and check your radio and phone plan.
  4. If you plan to run a generator, confirm the 20-foot rule and install carbon monoxide detectors.
  5. Stock water and nonperishable food, and talk to your clinician about any refrigerated medicine or powered device.

Every guide on this topic

Food, water and supplies

Heat, cooking and carbon monoxide

Light, power and generators

Communication, documents and home safety

Product guides: cooling, electronics and power

Disclosure: Some guides linked on this page contain affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you.

By ThePreppersBlueprint.com Editorial Team