Back up heater for power cuts

Do you have a gas hob? You can light these with matches.

I really do not know what to advise but I will say that the gas heaters (SuperSer) that run on bottled gas are very dangerous apparently as they emit carbon monoxide -'the silent killer'.

The 'candle under a terracotta plant pot' is equally as dangerous in my opinion - one knock and they can cause a fire.

Maybe, if you are able to heat up water, a copious number of hot water bottles might be the safest option.

I would be interested to read other GNetters comments though.

The LPG runs the heating and hot water but the boiler does not function without electricity. No gas hob .... that too us electric. So no means of heating water.

And my gas hob requires electricity and will not operate without. It is a very real,problem.

gas hob was a life saver during a big storm here. Four days without electric. So we were either in the kitchen or in bed!

My gas hob needs electricity to work the spark to light it , but I can use a match if I hold down the knob as if making a spark
I have used a portable gas heater , it was perfectly safe, the monoxide monitor showed no danger ! They are rather big so you need space for one

I retired to bed with a hwb, as that was my safest option. If it was for days I would have a hwb attached to my body somehow and I would be going to bed extra early for safety.

My gas hob, lit with a match would cook the food.

We often get power cuts here, we’re on a single cable electricity supply from town, and it only takes a tree down to take us out. A calor gas heater is the only portable option I think, and as long as you’ve got a decent sized room and open the door to other rooms to exchange the air occasionally it’s perfectly safe. I’ve got a log burner, which is perfect when the power goes off (mine was off most of yesterday too), and you can have one fitted even if you don’t have a chimney, but they are an expensive option if you only want it for occasional use.
For temporary lighting, I’ve tried different types, and found the best are those LED portable lights that workmen use when they are working in lofts etc., I’ve got two that work on batteries, and they are bright enough to read by.

If you haven't already done so, contact your energy supplier and ask to be put on their Priority Register.
There are several categories that qualify for this.

My daughter has a child under the age of 5.
When their boiler broke recently and needed replacing, the energy supplier provided alternative heating.

I am on the priority list but did not even get a text to say when the power might return.
Can't make hwb as no means of heating water .... grr.

You can get two ring camping stoves which run off a small calor gas bottle Luckygirl, they are not expensive and work well, that’s what I’ve been using, with the old kettle I kept when we had a caravan years ago. I always put mine on the stainless steel draining board, as I’m conscious that they are a bit precarious, the two ring one is closer the the ground than the type where you fit a single ring directly to the top of the gas bottle.

And have a wind up charger so you can charge your phone.

I have a camping stove run on a small internal and renewable gas bottle.. You could certainly boil water and heat tinned goods on that..

A friend uses a heated jacket with a usb cable even without a power cut. Just need to make sure the back up power pack is charged up.

Bottled gas heaters are only dangerous if put in a room without ventilation.

You could use a bottled gas heater, but, make sure that one window is open slightly.

We have a woodburning stove, its an old house, very old house, and has a chimney. However, like bottled gas heaters, it is necessary to make sure that the room has adequate ventilation.

The advantage of a woodburning stove is that you can use the top to boil a kettle or saucepan, or during one, very long electricity cut, cook a casserole.

However I appreciate that the OP is in a new house and does not have a chimney.

I have a dual fuel cooker with a gas hob. During power cuts you can turn the gas on and light it with a match, if the electric igniter isn't working. The same with a gas oven. if the igniter isn't working, turn the gas on and hold a match to the burner.

B&Q sell a portable Gas heater,similar construction to the small portable gas cookers that we have, with a built in butane Gas can, you can buy the extra butane refills.

If you Google it there are plenty of companies selling them.

I googled ‘Camping Gas Heater’

You can buy flueless fires that burn bio ethanol.
Do a Google search. there are some small ones that are not too expensive.

If you have a camping gas stove as well as heating kettles and tinned stuff on it you could try some hay box cooking to make more substantial meals.

www.cottagesmallholder.com/haybox-cooking-how-to-make-a-haybox-and-save-energy-by-huw-woodman-752/

I have to confess that I've never tried it, but it's an old technique that works.

V3ra

If you haven't already done so, contact your energy supplier and ask to be put on their Priority Register.
There are several categories that qualify for this.

My daughter has a child under the age of 5.
When their boiler broke recently and needed replacing, the energy supplier provided alternative heating.

DH is on the register. In theory he will get a generator should the power be off for a prolonged period. It's not happened yet.

Are paraffin heaters no longer available? We had one lit in the bathroom when I was a child in a freezing house and it was a godsend. Bit smelly if you didn’t trim the wick though.

We're all electric and I don't really fancy getting a gas cylinder in the house, I always think they're dangerous.
To be honest I think I'd just wear lots of clothes and nestle under a duvet on the sofa. I've got a 15.5 tog duvet which I rarely use as our home is very well insulated and heated, but it would be ideal in these circumstances.
I agree that you should get yourself on the priority register, then at least you're more likely to have advanced notice of any power cut - though not guaranteed, of course. We're pretty well insulated here so it would take a longer power cut to make our home really cold.

It's worth saying that many landline phones now are reliant on your broadband router so would not work in a power cut. If you have a mobile you can buy a powerpack to recharge it, though it's obviously necessary to keep it charged.

For heating, take a look at the nearest DIY store's heaters that run on ethanol (modern replacement for parafin) and by a trangia camping stove with a burner that will burn anything from cooking oil to vodka for cooking on.