Heating Oil Basics → Emergency Preparedness

What to Do When You Lose Heat in Winter

If you have no heat right now:

1. Check thermostat, circuit breaker, and emergency shutoff switch
2. Check your oil tank level
3. Protect your pipes — open cabinet doors, drip faucets
4. Keep one room warm — close off the rest of the house
5. Call for service or emergency delivery

Losing heat in the middle of winter is serious. Whether your furnace stopped working, you lost power, or you ran out of fuel, the first few hours matter.

Here's what to do — and what to avoid — to keep your family safe and your pipes intact.

1. Figure Out Why You Have No Heat

Before you do anything else, identify the problem. The fix depends on the cause.

Check these in order:

• Thermostat — is it set to "heat" and above the current room temperature?
• Circuit breaker — has the furnace breaker tripped? Check your electrical panel.
• Emergency shutoff switch — there's usually a red switch near the burner or at the top of the basement stairs. Make sure it's on.
• Oil tank — check your gauge or dip the tank. If you're out of oil, see What to Do If You Run Out of Heating Oil.
• Burner reset — press the red reset button on your burner once. If it doesn't start, wait 60 seconds and try once more. Do not press it more than 2-3 times.
• Power outage — if your lights are also out, the furnace can't run. See Section 3 below.

If your oil tank has fuel, the power is on, and the burner still won't fire after a reset, call a heating technician. Common causes include a clogged fuel filter, a faulty ignitor, or a tripped safety switch.

2. Keep Your House From Getting Too Cold

While you wait for a repair or delivery, your priority is keeping indoor temperatures above freezing. A house can drop to dangerous levels within hours in extreme cold.

Immediate steps:

• Close off rooms you're not using. Shut doors, stuff towels under gaps. Concentrate everyone in one room — preferably a smaller interior room
• Cover windows. Hang blankets or towels over windows to reduce heat loss. Even newspaper taped to glass helps
• Stay off the floor. Cold air sinks. Use rugs, blankets, and cushions to insulate from cold floors
• Layer clothing. Wear multiple layers, wool socks, hats, and gloves indoors. Body heat retention is more effective than trying to heat the space

If you have a fireplace or wood stove:

• Use it — but make sure the damper is open
• Only burn seasoned wood, never treated lumber, cardboard, or trash
• Keep a window cracked slightly for ventilation

3. What to Do During a Power Outage

If you've lost electricity, your oil burner cannot run — even if you have a full tank. Oil burners need electricity for the ignitor, fuel pump, and circulator pump.

Safe options:

• Portable generator — can power your burner, but never run a generator indoors, in a garage, or near windows. Carbon monoxide kills. Place it outside, at least 20 feet from your home, with the exhaust pointing away
• Space heaters — electric space heaters work if you have generator power. Use them in the room you're occupying, keep them away from curtains and furniture, and never leave them unattended
• If you have no generator and no alternative heat source, consider going to a warming shelter, a neighbor's house, or a hotel. This is especially important for elderly family members, young children, or anyone with medical conditions

What NOT to do — these can kill you:

• Never use your gas oven or stovetop for heat. This creates carbon monoxide buildup
• Never use a charcoal or propane grill indoors
• Never run a gasoline generator inside your home or garage — even with the door open
• Never use unvented kerosene or propane heaters indoors unless they are specifically rated for indoor use and you have adequate ventilation

Carbon monoxide is odorless and can be fatal within minutes in enclosed spaces.

4. Prevent Frozen Pipes

If your house temperature drops below 40°F, your pipes are at risk of freezing. Frozen pipes can burst and cause thousands of dollars in water damage.

Prevention steps:

• Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls to let warmer air reach pipes
• Let faucets drip slightly — a slow drip keeps water moving and prevents freezing
• If you'll be without heat for more than 12 hours in below-freezing temperatures, consider turning off the water at the main shutoff and draining the system
• Wrap exposed pipes in basements or crawl spaces with towels or blankets as temporary insulation

If a pipe has already frozen (no water flow but hasn't burst):

• Apply gentle heat with a hair dryer, heat lamp, or warm towels
• Never use a torch or open flame on pipes
• Start from the faucet end and work toward the frozen section
• If you can't locate or thaw the frozen section, call a plumber before it bursts

5. If You Rent

Call your landlord immediately. In most states, lack of heat in winter is a habitability issue, and landlords are required to restore it within hours — not days.

If your landlord is unresponsive:

• Document the situation (temperature readings, photos, timestamps)
• Contact your local building or housing inspector
• Many municipalities have emergency heating assistance programs — call your town hall or 211

6. When to Leave

If your home drops below 50°F indoors and you have no way to heat it, strongly consider leaving — especially if:

• You have infants, elderly family members, or anyone with health conditions
• The forecast shows continued extreme cold
• You have no generator, no fireplace, and no timeline for repair

Go to:

• A friend's or neighbor's house
• A hotel
• A public warming shelter — call your town or county's emergency management number, or dial 211

There is no point in risking hypothermia or frozen pipes when safer options are available.

7. Be Ready for Next Time

After the crisis passes, take a few steps so you're never in this position again:

• Install carbon monoxide detectors on every floor if you don't already have them
• Have your burner serviced annually — most breakdowns happen because of maintenance issues that could have been caught early
• Keep your oil tank above 1/4 — order a refill at half a tank so you're never close to empty
• Have a plan for power outages — know where your generator is, keep fuel on hand, and know how to connect it safely
• Track your oil usage so you know when you'll run low before it happens. See How to Estimate Heating Oil Usage

The best time to prepare for a heating emergency is before it happens.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Articles

• What to Do If You Run Out of Heating Oil
• Why People Run Out of Heating Oil (And How to Avoid It)
• How Long Does Heating Oil Last in Winter?
• How to Estimate Heating Oil Usage

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