How to Keep Your Heat On During a Winter Power Outage

A winter power outage isn’t just uncomfortable — it can be dangerous. When the grid fails in freezing weather, your heat usually goes with it (even gas furnaces need electricity to run), and temperatures inside can drop fast, risking hypothermia and burst pipes. Here’s how to keep your home warm and safe during a winter power outage — and how to keep the heat running entirely if you plan ahead.

The essentials: trap the heat you have, use a safe backup heat source, run your furnace on backup power if you can, and protect your pipes from freezing. Above all, never use anything that produces carbon monoxide indoors.

First, understand why the heat goes out

Here’s what surprises many people: almost every home heating system needs electricity to run. A gas furnace uses an electric blower and igniter; a boiler needs electric pumps; a heat pump is entirely electric. So when the power fails, your heat stops — even if you have plenty of gas or oil. That’s why backup power, not just backup heat, is often the real solution.

Option 1: Run your heat on backup power (the best fix)

If you want to actually keep your normal heating running, the answer is backup power:

A portable power station or home battery can run a gas furnace’s blower (which typically draws only a few hundred watts) — enough to keep your whole home heated as usual. This is one of the most valuable uses of backup power in winter. (See Best Portable Power Stations of 2026.)
A generator can do the same for longer outages, powering the furnace through a transfer switch. (See Best Whole-House Generators of 2026.)
A whole-home battery or standby generator keeps the heat on automatically, so you never even feel the outage.

Because a furnace blower is a modest load, even a mid-size power station can run your heat for many hours — making this the cleanest, safest way to stay warm. Our guide How to Power a House During a Blackout compares your options.

Option 2: Safe backup heat sources

If you don’t have backup power for the furnace, use a safe alternative heat source:

A wood stove or fireplace — an excellent, power-independent heat source if you have one and dry wood. Keep the flue clear and never leave a fire unattended.
Indoor-safe propane heaters — models specifically rated for indoor use (with oxygen-depletion sensors and low-oxygen shutoff) can be used with caution and ventilation. Never use an outdoor-only propane or kerosene heater inside.
Electric space heaters run on backup power — a battery or generator can run a space heater to warm one room (though heaters are power-hungry, so size accordingly).

Whatever you use, follow the CO rules below — they are not optional.

Option 3: Trap the heat you have

Even without a heat source, you can slow the cold dramatically:

Close off unused rooms and concentrate everyone in one central room, ideally on a lower floor.
Hang blankets over windows and doorways to insulate, and open curtains on sunny south-facing windows during the day.
Layer up — several thin layers trap heat better than one thick one — and use hats, since much heat is lost through the head.
Use blankets, sleeping bags, and body heat. Gather the family (and pets) together; people generate warmth.
Eat and drink warm if you can safely heat food or drinks, and stay hydrated.

Protect your pipes from freezing

Frozen pipes can burst and cause thousands in damage, so during a hard freeze without heat:

Let faucets drip slightly — moving water is far less likely to freeze.
Open cabinet doors under sinks to let warmer air reach the pipes.
Know where your main water shutoff is, so you can cut it fast if a pipe does burst.
If you’ll be away or the outage is severe, consider draining the system.

Critical safety rules

Winter heating during an outage is where carbon monoxide tragedies happen. Follow these without exception:

Never use a gas oven or stovetop to heat your home — it produces deadly carbon monoxide.
Never run a generator, grill, or camp stove indoors — including the garage. Generators go outside, 20+ feet from the house.
Only use heaters rated for indoor use inside, with proper ventilation.
Install battery-powered carbon monoxide detectors and keep them working — CO is odorless and invisible.
Never leave any open flame or heater unattended, especially around children, pets, or while sleeping.

Important safety notes

Staying warm safely comes first: never use a gas oven, charcoal or a fuel generator indoors for heat — carbon monoxide kills. Layer clothing, close off one room, and use only heaters rated for indoor use with proper ventilation. If it becomes dangerously cold and you can’t stay warm safely, go to a designated warming centre. This is general advice, not a substitute for official guidance.

This guide is general information, not professional, legal or medical advice. During an outage, follow guidance from your utility and local authorities, keep fuel-burning generators outdoors and away from windows, and seek professional help for medical power needs.

Frequently asked questions

How do I heat my house during a power outage? The safest, most effective way is backup power to run your furnace blower (a modest load a power station can handle). Alternatives include a wood stove or fireplace, an indoor-rated propane heater with ventilation, or a space heater run on backup power. Never use a gas oven to heat your home.

Will my furnace work during a power outage? No — gas and oil furnaces need electricity for the blower and igniter, and heat pumps are fully electric. Without backup power, your central heat stops even if you have fuel. Backup power (a battery or generator) can keep it running.

How can I stay warm during a winter outage without power? Close off unused rooms, insulate windows with blankets, layer clothing, and use blankets and body heat in one central room. A wood stove, fireplace, or indoor-rated propane heater adds warmth safely with proper precautions.

Is it safe to use a propane heater indoors? Only heaters specifically rated for indoor use, which have oxygen-depletion sensors, and only with adequate ventilation and a working CO detector. Never use outdoor-only propane or kerosene heaters inside — they can be deadly.

How do I keep my pipes from freezing during an outage? Let faucets drip slightly, open cabinet doors under sinks to expose pipes to warmer air, and keep the home as warm as you safely can. Know where your water shutoff is in case a pipe bursts.

The bottom line

To keep your heat on during a winter power outage, the best solution is backup power to run your furnace — a power station or generator turns your existing heat back on, cleanly and safely. Without it, use a safe backup heat source (wood stove, indoor-rated propane heater), trap the heat you have by concentrating in one insulated room, and protect your pipes from freezing. And never forget the cardinal rule: nothing that burns fuel — no gas oven, no generator, no outdoor heater — belongs inside your home. Stay warm, stay ventilated, and stay safe.