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How to Heat Your Home During a Power Outage: Safe Options That Work
If the power goes out during a Kansas City winter storm, start by keeping everyone in one room, holding onto the heat already inside the house, and adding layers and blankets. If you have heating equipment approved for indoor use without electricity, follow the manufacturer's instructions for fuel, clearance, and ventilation.
Never bring a generator, grill, or outdoor heater inside the house or garage. Never use a gas oven to heat the house. These can produce deadly carbon monoxide.
A standby generator is the permanent option for keeping your heating system and other essential equipment powered during an outage.
Schedule OnlineFirst: Safety Rules That Are Not Optional
Carbon monoxide has no smell or color. You can be exposed without realizing it.
Keep portable generators outdoors and away from doors, windows, and vents. A garage is not a safe place to run one, even with the garage door open.
Do not use a charcoal or gas grill indoors. Do not use your gas oven or range to heat the house. Outdoor propane or kerosene heaters belong outside unless the manufacturer specifically rates the equipment for indoor use.
Working carbon monoxide alarms are another part of winter preparation. Test them according to the manufacturer's instructions before heating season and keep them working during an outage.
How to Keep One Room Warm
The existing heat in your house is worth holding onto. Instead of trying to keep every room comfortable, concentrate everyone in one smaller room.
- Choose the room. Pick a smaller room away from exterior doors when possible. A room where everyone has enough space to sit or sleep works better than spreading out around the house.
- Close unused rooms. Shut doors to bedrooms and other spaces you are not using so the remaining heat stays where everyone is gathered.
- Reduce drafts. Close curtains and blinds. Use towels at drafty door bottoms without blocking required ventilation.
- Add layers. Wear warm clothing, socks, and hats. Use blankets or sleeping bags instead of relying only on a supplemental heater.
- Stay together. Keeping everyone in the same room helps concentrate body heat in the occupied space.
Avoid repeatedly opening exterior doors. If sunlight reaches the room during the day, open the curtains to let that warmth in, then close them again as temperatures drop.
During a long outage, keep an eye on the indoor temperature and weather conditions. If the house becomes too cold to stay safely, move to a heated location rather than trying to improvise another heat source.
Safe Heat Sources Without Electricity
Some permanently installed heating equipment operates without normal household power, while other systems stop as soon as electricity is lost. Know what equipment you have before an outage.
Portable fuel-burning heaters need extra caution. Use one indoors only when the manufacturer specifically approves it for indoor operation. Follow all fuel, clearance, and ventilation instructions for that heater.
Do not improvise a heat source with candles, clay pots, grills, camp stoves, or other equipment designed for cooking or outdoor use. Something that produces heat is not automatically safe for heating an enclosed room.
Unsafe Heating Methods During a Power Outage
| Never Use Indoors | Why It Is Dangerous | What to Do Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Portable generator | Produces carbon monoxide that can build up inside a house or garage | Run it outdoors, away from doors, windows, and vents |
| Gas or charcoal grill | Produces carbon monoxide and creates a fire risk | Keep grills outdoors and use them only for their intended purpose |
| Gas oven or range for heat | Cooking equipment is not designed to heat a room and creates carbon monoxide and fire risks | Hold heat in one room with layers, blankets, and draft control |
| Outdoor propane or kerosene heater | Outdoor models are not designed for enclosed spaces | Use a heater indoors only when the manufacturer specifically approves it for indoor operation |
| Camp stove | Produces combustion gases and creates a fire risk | Keep camp stoves outdoors |
| Candles or clay-pot heaters | Open flames create a fire risk and do not provide safe room heating | Use blankets, sleeping bags, warm clothing, and other safe heat-retention methods |
Make the Next Outage a Non-Event with Standby Generators
A standby generator is installed outside the house and connected to the home's electrical system. When utility power goes out, the generator supplies the circuits the system was designed and sized to carry.
A standby system means you do not have to carry a portable generator outside during a storm, run extension cords, or keep refueling a small unit while the power is out. Though keep in mind, the generator still needs fuel, routine service, and testing so it is ready when utility power fails.
Generator cost depends on the equipment size, electrical work, fuel setup, and conditions at the property. During whole-home generator installation, we talk with you about what needs to stay powered and look at the electrical load those items create. That information helps us determine the generator size and electrical setup for the house.
For many homeowners, keeping the furnace running is high on that list. Other priorities include refrigeration, sump pumps, lighting, medical equipment, and selected outlets.
After installation, PoweredHome generator maintenance plans give homeowners a way to stay on top of routine generator service and testing instead of waiting until an outage to find out the equipment needs attention.
If you want backup power in place before the next Kansas City winter storm, schedule a whole-home generator consultation.
After the Power Comes Back
When utility power returns, give the heating system a chance to restart normally. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and that the furnace has power.
If your furnace won't restart after an outage, check the breaker from the outside of the panel. If it has tripped and there are no burning smells, buzzing, heat, or visible damage, reset it once. If it trips again or the furnace still does not start, stop there and schedule service.
Do not keep resetting breakers or cycling the furnace on and off. Power restoration can expose an electrical, control, or furnace problem that needs diagnosis.
Cold indoor temperatures put pipes along exterior walls, in crawlspaces, and in other unheated areas at risk of freezing. Before the house gets that cold, protect your pipes during an outage by focusing on plumbing in the areas that lose heat first.
After a long outage, look for leaks as frozen plumbing warms back up. If you find one, shut off the water if you can do so safely and call for plumbing service.
Being prepared for a Kansas City winter power outage is important for your safety and to protect your home. Consider a whole-home generator to keep your house at a comfortable temperature and prevent your plumbing lines from freezing. Schedule an appointment online or call us today at (913) 298-0444 to get a generator assessment with one of our expert electricians.
Schedule OnlineFrequently Asked Questions
Start by keeping everyone in one room and holding onto the heat already in the house. Close unused rooms, reduce drafts, add clothing layers, and use blankets or sleeping bags. Use supplemental heating equipment only when it is specifically approved for indoor operation.
No. A gas oven or range is designed for cooking, not space heating. Using it to heat the house creates carbon monoxide and fire risks.
The installed cost depends on generator size, the electrical loads you want to power, fuel setup, electrical work, and the home's conditions. A site assessment is needed before an installed price is given.
Check that power has returned and the thermostat is set to heat. If the furnace still does not restart, or a breaker trips again after one reset, stop there and schedule service rather than repeatedly resetting the equipment.
