The short answer
Use battery or wind-up lights, not candles. GOV.UK Be Ready says torches are safer than candles, and your phone's torch drains the battery you need for calls. A sensible set-up is a head torch for each adult, a battery LED lantern for the room you're sitting in, and spare batteries stored with them where you can find them in the dark. If you do use candles, London Fire Brigade says use heat-resistant holders on a stable surface, keep them away from anything that can burn, and never leave them unattended. Don't use gas or paraffin lamps indoors: burning fuel can make carbon monoxide.
Torches beat candles
The official line is short. GOV.UK's Be Ready campaign says keep a battery or wind-up torch, and spare batteries, at home, and that torches are safer than candles. Citizens Advice says not to use candles as lights because they can start fires if left unattended.
Be Ready also warns against relying on your phone's torch: it drains the battery you may need for calls, alerts and updates.
A simple lighting plan
This is our suggestion, built on the official advice above. It's not an official list.
| Light | Why | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Head torch, one per adult | Keeps both hands free for cooking, stairs, children or first aid | About 200 to 400 lumens; a red-light mode is easier on the eyes at night; rechargeable or runs on AAA |
| LED lantern, one for the room you're in | Lights the whole room, so you're not pointing a torch at people's faces | Long run time on low (100 hours or more is common); battery or USB |
| Wind-up torch | A back-up that needs no batteries | Low output; fine for finding things |
| Spare batteries | Lights fail when batteries do | Same size across your kit where you can (AA or AAA) |
Gather everyone in one room, as you would to keep warm, and one lantern goes a long way.
Batteries: the part people forget
- Citizens Advice says check your torch regularly, keep spare batteries, and store them together, somewhere safe and easy to reach in the dark.
- Use one battery size for torches, lantern and radio if you can, so one pack of spares covers everything (our suggestion).
- Alkaline batteries have a use-by date; check it when you check your kit.
- Low self-discharge rechargeables (the "eneloop" type) keep their charge for months, so they suit an emergency drawer. Charge them before winter.
- A charged power bank can top up USB head torches and lanterns. See keeping your phone charged in a power cut.
If you do use candles
Torches are the safer choice. If you light candles anyway, follow London Fire Brigade's rules:
- Use heat-resistant holders on a stable surface.
- Keep candles away from curtains, papers, furniture and clothes.
- Never leave them unattended, and put them out when you leave the room and before bed.
- Keep candles, matches and lighters out of reach of children and pets.
- Tealights can melt through plastic, such as a TV or a bath, without a proper holder.
London Fire Brigade suggests flameless LED candles as the safer alternative. Make sure your smoke alarms work: a power cut is a bad time to discover a flat battery. Our guide to a home fire escape plan covers the rest.
No fuel lamps indoors
Carbon monoxide warning. Gas lanterns, paraffin lamps and camping lights that burn fuel are not safe light sources indoors. HSE says carbon monoxide comes from incomplete burning of fuels such as gas and oil, and the NHS says CO is a poisonous gas you can't see or smell. If anyone gets a headache, dizziness or sickness that eases outside, go outside and call 111, or 999 if someone is struggling to breathe or collapses. Suspected CO from a gas appliance: 0800 111 999 (NHS).
While the power is off
Be Ready's other power-cut steps: report the cut on 105 (England, Scotland and Wales) or 03457 643 643 (Northern Ireland), keep the fridge and freezer closed, and turn off ovens, irons, electric fires and fryers so nothing comes back on unattended when the power returns.
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What to buy
About these links: plain links to ordinary retailer pages. We may earn from some links in future; we don't now. We haven’t tested these and we don’t rank them: they are examples that were in stock when we checked. Prices change. Check what you already own first. Full kit list
Torch or head torch, plus spare batteries
Look for: Runs on the same AA or AAA batteries as your other kit, so one spare pack covers everything. A head torch leaves both hands free.
- Alpkit Ionic 350 Lumen Head Torch · Alpkit · £15.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Intensity 155 LED Head Torch · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £19.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Alpkit Kula 550 Lumen Head Torch · Alpkit · £19.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Intensity 480 LED Hand Torch · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £29.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Dynamo Powered Wind-Up Pocket LED Torch · EVAQ8 · £3.60 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
Spare batteries
Look for: The sizes your torch, radio and alarms take. Check the date on the pack.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best emergency lighting for a power cut?
Battery or wind-up LED lights. Be Ready says keep a battery or wind-up torch and spare batteries, and that torches are safer than candles. A head torch leaves your hands free; an LED lantern lights a whole room.
Are candles OK in a power cut, or too dangerous?
Be Ready and Citizens Advice both advise torches rather than candles, because candles can start fires. If you do use one, London Fire Brigade says use a heat-resistant holder on a stable surface, keep it away from curtains, furniture and clothes, never leave it unattended, and put it out before you leave the room or go to bed.
Can I use my phone as a torch?
Only briefly. Be Ready says your phone's torch drains its battery more quickly, and you may need that battery for calls and updates.
Are tealights safe?
They are still naked flames. London Fire Brigade warns tealights can melt through plastic surfaces such as a TV or a bath unless they're in proper holders. Battery LED tealights avoid the risk.
Can I use a gas or paraffin lantern indoors?
We don't advise it. HSE says carbon monoxide comes from incomplete burning of fuels such as gas and oil, and the NHS lists fuel-burning heaters and camping equipment among the causes of CO poisoning. Use battery or wind-up lights indoors.
Sources
We opened each page on the date shown. Official advice changes: if a source says something different now, follow the source.
- GOV.UK Be Ready: Power cuts (read 1 November 2026)
- GOV.UK Be Ready: be ready for emergencies (checklist) (read 1 November 2026)
- Citizens Advice: Prepare for a power cut (read 1 November 2026)
- London Fire Brigade: Candles (no page date shown) (read 1 November 2026)
- HSE: Carbon monoxide (gas safety in the home) (read 1 November 2026)
- NHS: Carbon monoxide poisoning (last reviewed 16 December 2025) (read 1 November 2026)
Related guides
- Choosing a torch for a power cut: what to look for
- Power cut kit: what to keep in one box, and how long power cuts last
- Winter power cut checklist for UK homes
- Home fire escape plan: how to make one your whole household knows
Free tools
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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