A parent in the United Kingdom looking for ways to keep their children warm during a winter blackout turned to Reddit with an idea: placing tealights inside a terracotta pot. Fellow Redditors warned that the makeshift heater could pose a fire hazard.
Here's what to know
The parent was saving for additional hardware that would let their solar panels supply the home during a power cut. In a post on Reddit's r/UKPreppers community, the parent explained that their rooftop solar system relies on the electricity grid.
"We have solar, but it requires the grid to work, so if the grid goes down so do we," the original poster wrote.
The parent was considering buying a small pop-up tent, hand warmers, and hot water bottles, but the terracotta-pot suggestion drew a particularly strong response.
One commenter warned that trapped heat could ignite wax vapors: "Never put tea lights in terracotta pots! It is dangerous! They trap the heat and can get to such a high internal temperature you reach the point where flashover occurs."
The heating benefit was also challenged on energy grounds. The same commenter explained that a pot adds nothing to the energy contained in a candle's wax.
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More background
The parent also could not yet afford a small wood stove. They described it as a longer-term option after a commenter suggested installing one.
One Redditor recalled working with open windows during COVID, when indoor temperatures dropped below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). They credited thermal clothing and accessories — including wrist warmers, gloves, a scarf, and a hat — with helping them manage the chill.
Another commenter recalled being tucked into a prewarmed bed under plenty of blankets while staying with their grandmother. She used a hot water bottle to warm the bed in her home, which had no central heating.
What can be done?
Commenters suggested thermal base layers, several thin layers of clothing, extra blankets, and duvets to help retain warmth.
One child's cold-weather wardrobe included a hooded onesie and an oversized hoodie, according to their parent. That Redditor had also bought emergency foil blankets, thick socks, and thermal tops and trousers.
Another commenter endorsed the tent, with a caution: keep tealights and other flames away because the fabric can melt. For the proposed indoor tent, the Redditor who listed their child's clothing suggested laying something beneath the sleeping bags, pointing to yoga mats they already owned.
"Don't worry I will not be doing this! Mentioned it to my husband and he said the same thing about power," the original poster wrote in response to the tealight warning.
Where can I learn more?
Keeping children warm is one of the challenges families face during a blackout. These stories cover parents getting prepared, a proposed practice outage, emergency supplies, and heating systems that rely on electricity.
• A new parent took a power cut alert as motivation to start preparing.
• A prepper shared his grid-down power plan, including candles, a NOAA radio, and solar.
• A parent proposed a trial run outage, but commenters advised against shutting off gas.
• A homeowner with gas radiators learned the boiler needs power during blackouts, too.
• A prepper shared a home outage stash with solar backup, water, and go bags.
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