3 Ways to Heat Your Home During Power Outage

When the power grid goes down because of bad weather, a terrorist attack, or human error at a utility plant, how can you keep your home heated until the power grid comes back online?

Depending on where in the world you live, the winter season can be brutal. What will you do if the power grid goes down and remains out of service for hours, days, or weeks? If your heat sources are powered by electricity, you’ll need to come up with a backup plan. Getting a backup generator can help by providing emergency power when the grid screeches to a halt.

But a backup generator capable of keeping an entire house up and running when the utility grid goes offline can cost you thousands of dollars for the unit — and more for installation. You might be better off investing all that money into heating equipment that won’t require the power grid. Reducing your reliance on the utility company means freedom.
Continue reading to look at three ways to keep your home warm during a power outage.

1. Fireplace
A fireplace can be a great way to provide some heat to your home. Of course, it won’t heat your entire home. But you can create a warm space in your living room or den. That will give your family will a safe place to congregate.

You can create a warm and cozy space with the right fireplace. If you haven’t paid much attention to the fireplace industry, you might believe that traditional wood fireplaces are the only options available. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are tons of options to consider before making a buying decision.

All you need is a fireplace insert if your home has a masonry fireplace. But if no such masonry fireplace is installed, you’ll need a complete fireplace. One of the most important things to mull over is the fuel options. For instance, you can fuel a fireplace with wood, gas, natural gas, propane, and ethanol. Yes, you can get electric fireplaces. But you won’t get the independence you want from the utility grid.

2. Wood Stove
Another option is to install a wood stove in your basement or living room. A wood stove can provide a great level of heat throughout your home if it’s properly installed. While it has an electric fan that helps to spread the heat, you can usually still use a wood stove even if the power goes out. If you live in a rural area with some acreage, you might not even have to buy wood. You can get someone to get down some trees, cut the trees into pieces, use an axe to spit the pieces, and then stack the pieces so that the wood dries. If the power ever goes out, you can count on your wood stove to provide some level of heat throughout your residence.

3. Catalytic Gas Heater
Another option if you want to heat your home without relying on electricity is a catalytic gas heater. These types of heating equipment heat up elements and then radiate heat. You will usually need the right propane tanks to use catalytic gas heaters properly. It’s an option worth considering if you want a relatively easy way to heat your home.

These are just three options at your disposal if the plan calls for reducing your reliance on the power grid. No one wants to be left without power. But that’s exactly what can happen if the power goes out. Having this happen during the winter will make a bad situation worse.
Consider these and other options if you want to be ready to weather any ice-cold weather situation.