Keep outdoor cookers outside
London Fire Brigade and the NHS warn against using camping stoves and barbecues indoors. Opening a window, using an extractor or having a carbon monoxide alarm does not turn an outdoor cooker into an indoor appliance. If you cannot cook safely, use ready-to-eat food.
Choose the next meal
- Check the outage and switch off heat-producing appliances
Use your network operator's updates if available. UK Prepare advises switching off ovens, irons, electric fires and fryers so they do not restart unexpectedly when power returns.
- Check the food and water situation
Keep fridge and freezer doors closed while you decide. The Food Standards Agency advises using safely stored foods that need refrigeration before cupboard food. Do not assume chilled food is safe because it feels cool or can be reheated. Check its current power-cut guidance and the food label.
- Look for food that is ready to eat
Choose food that its label says can be eaten without heating. This may include safely stored chilled food that should be used first. Keep familiar shelf-stable options as a fallback. UK Prepare recommends non-perishable ready-to-eat food and a tin opener for power cuts. Include food suitable for children, dietary needs and pets.
- Use a suitable appliance only if it is safe and available
A fitted cooker may depend on electricity for ignition, controls or ventilation. Check its manual rather than trying to bypass a safety feature. If an appliance works, supervise cooking and keep cloths, children and pets away from the hot area.
What the options mean in practice
- No-cook meal
- Needs no heat or fuel and is the simplest fallback. Check the label for whether the food is ready to eat, plus allergens and any storage instructions.
- Existing fitted hob
- May or may not operate during a cut. Use it only as designed and according to the manual. A gas appliance needs its normal ventilation and maintenance.
- Battery-powered cooking appliance
- Possible only if the power source and appliance are compatible. Cooking can use substantial energy. Check the actual appliance rating and battery instructions; do not assume a phone power bank can run it.
- Outdoor camping stove or barbecue
- Use only outside in a suitable permitted place, following the equipment instructions and fire precautions. Do not move it indoors, into a garage, a tent, an awning or a doorway to escape rain.
Keep food safety separate from the choice of cooker
The Food Standards Agency says cooking times and temperatures vary by food. Follow packet instructions and check that food requiring cooking is cooked all the way through. A small flame, short boil or warm surface is not proof that a raw or chilled meal is safe.
The Food Standards Agency advises using safely stored chilled food before shelf-stable cupboard food during a power cut. Its guidance on leftovers also requires proper chilling and thorough reheating. A power cut can remove the means to chill them. Make smaller portions and avoid relying on leftovers unless you can store them safely. If storage conditions are uncertain, use food that is shelf-stable and ready to eat.
Do not use a cooking plan to override a water safety notice. If the supply is disrupted or a notice is in place, follow the water company or authority's current instruction for water used in drinks, food and washing.
If carbon monoxide exposure is possible
Carbon monoxide has no smell. The NHS lists headache, dizziness, sickness, weakness and confusion among possible symptoms. Stop using the suspected appliance if you can, go outside, seek medical advice promptly and do not return until you have been advised it is safe. Call 999 for severe breathing difficulty, sudden confusion, loss of consciousness, weakness or chest or muscle pain after possible exposure.
Limits of this plan
This is a decision guide, not an instruction to light a particular stove or use a particular fuel. Equipment rules, local outdoor restrictions, weather, ventilation and food storage differ. Follow the current manufacturer instructions and local fire service advice for any appliance you use.
Plan a few no-cook meals before an outage. This costs less and gives a fallback when outdoor cooking is unsuitable because of weather, shared outdoor space or mobility needs.