Cooking without electricity: what's safe indoors and what isn't

What still works in your kitchen

In a power cut, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) says electric and induction cookers won't work, but gas cookers may. If your hob has electric ignition, follow the maker's instructions for lighting it by hand.

On a gas hob, the NHS says avoid oversized pans that cover more than one ring, and keep the room ventilated. Never use the hob or oven to heat the room.

Be Ready's power-cut advice is to turn off ovens, irons, electric fires and fryers so they don't come back on unattended when the power returns.

No-cook first

The safest cooking in a power cut is no cooking. The FSA says tinned foods are safe to eat without heating. Eat in the FSA's order:

1. food from the fridge;
2. defrosted frozen food that doesn't need cooking;
3. perishable food kept at room temperature;
4. tins, jars and dried food last.

A closed fridge stays cold for up to 4 hours. Our 7-day no-cook food box has a full menu and shopping list.

Cooking outdoors: the rules

A camping stove is a useful way to heat food and water. Germany's BBK lists camping stoves as an option when there's no electricity or gas. The FSA says most camping stoves, barbecues and bottled-gas stoves are made for outdoor use only, so check the maker's instructions.

• Outside, in the open air, away from doors, windows and vents, so fumes can't drift back in.
• Not in a garage, shed, porch, conservatory, tent or on an enclosed balcony.
• Change gas cartridges outside, never indoors or near anything that could light them (Scottish Fire and Rescue Service).
• Never leave a lit stove alone, and keep children and pets away (general practice).
• Cook food until it's steaming hot all the way through. The FSA says cooking on these can take longer.
• Flats: if you have no safe outdoor space, don't cook on a stove at all. Stick to no-cook food and a flask filled from a working hob.

Boil once, keep it hot

Fuel is limited, so use it once (general practice):

• Boil a pan of water, fill a vacuum flask, and use it through the day for tea, coffee, instant porridge, noodles and a hot-water bottle.
• Wrap a pot of pasta or porridge, brought to the boil with the lid on, in a towel or sleeping bag. The trapped heat finishes cooking it with no more fuel.

What about a power station?

Cooking eats stored power. A kettle or induction hob draws 1,500–3,000 W and would empty a 1,000 Wh power station in well under an hour (our calculation). Save stored power for phones, lights and medical devices. See what size power station you need.

Signs an appliance is making carbon monoxide

The Health and Safety Executive lists these warning signs on gas appliances:

• yellow or orange flames where they should be blue;
• soot or yellow-brown staining on or around it;
• a pilot light that keeps going out;
• more condensation than usual inside the windows.

If you suspect a leak: call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 (24 hours), turn off the appliance and the gas at the meter, open doors and windows, and see a doctor if you feel unwell. Tell them you may have breathed in carbon monoxide (HSE).

Carbon monoxide alarms

The NHS recommends an alarm that makes a loud sound in every room with a gas, oil, coal or wood-burning appliance. In a power cut, a mains-only alarm may not work, so choose a battery alarm, or one with battery back-up, and test it.

Hygiene without running water

If the water is off, the FSA says you can use alcohol hand sanitiser for your hands and antibacterial sprays or wipes on surfaces and utensils. Keep raw and cooked food apart.

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Related guides

• Cooking in a power cut: what's safe, and what to keep outside
• Carbon monoxide at home: signs, alarms and what to do
• Smell gas? What to do, step by step
• Power cut kit: what to keep in one box, and how long power cuts last

Free tools

• Fridge and freezer power cut timer (FSA times)

We're an independent UK site, not the government. We check guides against official sources and link to them. In an emergency call 999.

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