Best Heat Sources to Use During a Power Outage

A winter storm rages outside and the power suddenly flickers off. The temperature in your home is beginning to slowly decline and a chill is settling in the air. Are you prepared with backup heat sources until the power is restored?

What are the best options for alternative heat sources during a power outage? Our top choices for safe emergency heating include:

-Terracotta Pot Heater—homemade heater which uses canned heat for fuel.

We have spent hundreds of hours researching and experimenting with alternative heat sources to keep us from freezing in our home during a power outage. In this video, you get to see our favorite alternative heating devices.

Surviving a Winter Power Outage: How to Stay Warm

Best Alternative Heat Sources to Use During a Power Outage

Terracotta Pot Heater/Cooker – How to Heat and Cook without Electricity

Thanks for being part of the solution!

[thinkforyourselfjohn]

Thank you for this video. Praying for Texas and all the states that have been affected by these terrible storms 🙏. My heart breaks for you.

[soapbeit]

We went through a recession in 1980....my family had a woodburner in family room and we used Kerosene heaters in the other rooms ( 3 -4 of them in the house)....Was a reliable source of heat...we are all here and well . :)

[sarahunlimited]

Love the wood burning stove. My grandmother had one. Every one should have one. Great independent source, when there is no electricity.

[gordonreeder]

Natural gas. In one place we had a gas fired fireplace that kept us warm over two power outages. In another the solar gain was so good that we didn't actually run the furnace over winter. We just kicked it on in the morning to blow off the chill. Then we let the solar keep us warm.
I'm still working on a plan for reliable long term emergency heat for when the SHTF here in the Northwest. I like the alcohol heater and the flower pot heater idea.

[johnmatarazzo]

I bought a my buddy at a pawn shop 10 years ago best heater ever

[cynthiaweathers]

I live in a one room studio apartment. The Terra Cotta heaters work very well if you place 1 in the bathroom, 1 on the cookstove, 1 in the living area and 1 in the sleeping area. That's if it's really cold outside. I've done the same with can heaters made from cans that food comes in. Called hobo heaters. You can also cook on those.

[yiasou]

I'm so impressed with your channel, the information you provide is incredible and invaluable!
Thank you, from Montreal, Canada

[bessiemann]

Best heat when the power goes out is a wood stove.You can cook and heat water also stay warm I use oil lamps candles and flash light

[junehoward]

Wood stove....the best. Love it and love using it even when the power out.

[matthewwynne]

I had always counted on our fireplace as a source for backup heating, but had gone a while without using it, and the last time I tried found that the chimney had a blockage i it. Lesson learned to keep a chimney maintained.
I couldn't agree more on the advisement against the use of kerosene heaters. My dad came from such a rural upbringing that he saw no issue with using kerosene heaters in his modern apartment. It didn't even phase him that it made everything in his place reek like diesel exhaust. He preferred the "natural" heat they gave off in comparison to his baseboard heaters. Sure, he cracked a window for ventilation, but that kind of defeated the purpose of using a a heater when cold air needed to be brought in. It took a long time of reminding him of all the impracticalities and dangers of that practice for him to finally give it up.

[peggygibbons]

When we bought our house, I said we MUST have a fireplace (for a power outage) and a basement (for tornadoes) My friend made me a bracket, inside our fireplace that I can hang a cast iron pot on. We had a bad ice storm several yrs ago & I learned my LESSON! We also have an outside fire pit, with fire irons I can hang a pot on, a wood smoker, charcoal grill and a gas grill with a burner on the side. The fireplace kept us warm.

[bcroxy]

omg!! my grandmother had one of those wood burning stoves when i was young child. She cooked everything on that.

[TexCynRVLife]

I'm leaning towards an alcohol heater for my small motorhome. Mr Buddy creates moist heat. I'll check into this - thanks!

[jmo]

Thank you so much for presenting this. I have been trying to decide what my alternative was going to be and this was very informative. Really excellent.

[e.f.]

It's 2.16.2021 I'm in Tyler TX. It's my boyfriend and me at his house with all his animals. This is the worst storm that has ever happened and we are not prepared for such freezing temperatures. God help us all🙏🏽😢

[nancymills]

After research I bought the Buddy Heaters as emergency back up. I have the bottle type that kept me warm and comfy for 6 hours. One thing not mentioned is the Buddy Heater does have an open flame so caution must be used.

[tommak]

I was at a pioneer village museum type place, it was a cold damp fall day. I went into one of the pioneer houses they had exhibited and their was an old wood burning stove with a fire in it. It was so cozy I did not even want to leave, I think I could have sat there all day.

[jacquelinecallejas]

I bought a couple of Buddy Heaters due to the recommendation. I haven't needed them so far but when it gets a little cooler I will do a test run. I have gotten an adapter that is for refilling the little bottles with a the bigger grill tanks so that if the power outage lasts long and I use up the little bottles I could theoretically refill them to continue heating a room.

[dianadougan]

No closed captioning? Please try, my daughter needs it. Your doing a great job, thank you.

[kimberlyquintanilla]

That stove is gorgeous! I have always wanted one of those.