Back up heater for power cuts

Our next door neighbours have a huge house and a generator that kicks in when we have a power cut. It sounds like a truck has left it’s engine running……..

All my heating, cooking etc. relies on electricity so I have a small camping stove which runs on canisters of GAZ (kept in shed when not in use). It’s safe to use on top of my ceramic hob. I can cook on it & heat water for hot water bottles.

I live in a very rural area with frequent power cuts.

Don’t rely on the priority register. We are on it as dh has a heart condition and we are both over 70. The power was off before 6am on Saturday and did not come back on until 9pm. Thankfully we have a wood burning stove and a gas hob plus plenty of battery operated lanterns.

The bedroom end of the bungalow was down to 14 degrees without central heating which was way too cold so we were ready to spend the night sat up in the lounge.

Do try to have back up power if you can.

You can get all you need from a caravan and camping outlet. It's amazing how long you can manage with a small bottle of calor gas and some basic camping equipment.

Luckygirl3

I am in a new build and although I have LPG for central heating it is no use during a power cut because the boiler needs electricity.
I decamped to my Dd's place yesterday during a power cut induced by the storm.
I could have managed with no light, but not with no heat.
I need a small safe backup heater for these situations. Does anyone have any recommendations? Thank you.

Would you be able to have a wood burning fireplace installed?

My bungalow has no gas, we have no chimney and although my heating is oil, yet again it needs electricity to run. So no cooking, no heating and no hot water here when the electricity cuts out. I bought a single ring camping gaz hob and the necessary bottles of gaz as a 'just in case'. At least then I can have hot drinks and soup.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

I googled ‘Camping Gas Heater’

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.

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.

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.

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..

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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