Stay warm, keep the lights on after a power outage

Published Mar 14, 2025 • Last updated Mar 14, 2025 • 3 minute read

Portable battery powered products can keep the lights on and electronics powered up when the lights go out. Seen here ,the Ryobi 40V 300 Watt Power source powering a conventional floor lamp,

Not everyone will want to invest in a full backup system; here are some innovative, less expensive products worth considering

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With all of the snow we’ve been hit with this winter, it’s not unreasonable to assume that when the spring thaw kicks in there’s a greater chance of flooding and potential power outages occurring.

Thankfully, there are actions we can take to be better prepared for such developments. Strategies to make your home less vulnerable to flooding include: clearing snow and ice away from basement window sills, installing a sump pump, elevating electrical panels and outlets; and, setting up a whole home backup power system.

Backup power is an ideal way to keep everything on the home front running during a power outage. That said, a whole home system is an investment not everyone is ready to make.

But there are innovative, less expensive alternative products worth considering that will get you through the next power outage.

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The most obvious need when the lights go out, apart from scrambling for candles, is a product that can power at least one existing light as well as such essentials as cell phones, computers, modems and routers that keep you connected to the outside world.

You also need to eat – so ideal would be a power source to fire up an electric frying pan, tea kettle or induction stove so you can whip up a quick meal, and if possible, especially after a power outage that lasts longer than the usual one to three hours, to run your fridge – even if for a brief period of time to prevent spoilage.

A product we use is the EcoFlow (same company that makes our whole house backup solution) DELTA 3 Plus Portable Power Station which has a 1024Wh capacity (e.g. enough power to run a 100 watt light bulb for 10 hours).

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With its 1800 watt output, we have it on standby for everything from lights to electronics, and in the event the power is out for longer than a few hours, to keep our downstairs bar fridge running. And by doing so, we’re not drawing power from the main backup system.

The DELTA 3 Plus can be expanded to up to 5000Wh (5Kw), or another option is to add a 160 or 220 watt solar panel to recharge the battery, which could also be used (with the right wiring) to keep a gas furnace running.

You only need to power the motor, so if the furnace motor uses 500 watts per hour, the above-mentioned DELTA 3 could keep the furnace running a couple of hours or more recognizing that furnaces cycle on and off.

Another innovative option is Ryobi’s 40V 300 Watt Power Source, which enables you to swap in the company’s 40 volt batteries used for their yard tools or snowblowers,. We have a couple of these set up in our home to power lights and clocks in rooms we aren’t backing up (with the whole home solution).

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Battery powered lights are another option, including the compact EcoFlow’ Camping Light you can carry with you from room to room. The light has a run time of up to 11 hours and has different lighting modes (white, warm, natural, flashlight and a flashing SOS).

An entire room solution also from EcoFlow is the Multifunctional Outdoor Camping Light which produces up to 9500 lumens (equivalent to six 100W bulbs). However it’s not battery powered, meaning you need to plug it in to a portable battery. (You’ll also need an AC to 12V wall plug as the light is designed to plug into a car cigarette lighter or connect to a car battery).

Because indoor portable heaters are a huge drain on backup batteries, an alternative way to keep warm is with the Life Giving Warmth’s Kodiak Battery Powered Heating Blanket, which heats up in five minutes and is rated to provide three plus hours of warmth.

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All of these products are designed not only for in home use but for camping and other outdoor activities. In our case, we also keep the Life Giving Warmth blanket along with the EcoFlow Camping Light as part of our car emergency kit in case we are ever stranded roadside in the middle of a storm.

While flooding and power outages are very real challenges, with some advance preparation, homeowners can do a much better job of weathering the storm.

Learn more:

www.ecoflow.com/ca

www.ryobitools.ca

www.lifegivingwarmth.com

Mark Wessel lives in Ridgeway, Ont. and is a passionate advocate for living more sustainably at home and in the greater community. Visit www.markdouglaswessel.com

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