Heat Cut Off? How to Stay Warm Safely Until It's Restored
When the heat goes out in winter, the first hours matter most. This guide helps you work out why it's off, who can get it back on, and how to keep everyone warm without risking a fire or carbon monoxide poisoning in the meantime.
AT A GLANCE
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Step one: why is the heat off?
What you're seeing | Likely cause | Who to call first |
|---|---|---|
Lights and outlets work, but a gas furnace or boiler won't light, and you got a notice or a shutoff tag | Gas service disconnected for nonpayment | Your utility, then your state LIHEAP office for crisis help |
Lights and heat are both out, and neighbors are dark too | Power outage | Your electric utility's outage line. Check with local officials about warming locations |
Oil or propane furnace stopped and the tank gauge reads near empty | Out of delivered fuel | Your LIHEAP office for crisis help before ordering a delivery |
Fuel and power are fine, but the furnace runs and blows cold or won't start | Equipment failure | A qualified technician. Ask LIHEAP or weatherization about repair help |
You rent and your building's heat is off or too low | Landlord-supplied heat not provided | Your landlord first, then your local housing or code enforcement office |
If you smell gas, don't try to relight anything or flip switches. Leave the home and call your gas utility's emergency line or 911 from outside.
The right first call depends on why the heat is off. A shutoff, an empty tank and a broken furnace all have different fixes.
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If the utility shut you off
USAGov explains that each state has its own policy on when utility companies can and can't disconnect electricity or natural gas for nonpayment. Those rules can depend on the current weather, your age, whether you have a disability and which utility you use. USAGov links to a state-by-state list of who to contact if your service was disconnected.
Here's what to do when you call:
Ask what it takes to restore service today, and whether a payment arrangement can get it back on.
Tell them about anyone at risk. Mention older adults, young children, disabilities or medical needs in the home. In some states that changes what the utility can do.
Call your state LIHEAP office the same day. USAGov says LIHEAP can help with heating bills or emergency services during an energy crisis, and some offices take applications online while others want you in person.
Say the words "energy crisis." Ask whether the state runs a separate crisis component and whether it can pay the utility directly to get service back on.
Under 42 U.S.C. 8623(c), each state's LIHEAP crisis program must provide some form of help that will resolve the crisis within 48 hours after an eligible household applies, or within 18 hours if the situation is life-threatening. People who are physically infirm must have a way to apply without leaving home or get transportation to apply.
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If the cause is a broken furnace or an empty tank
If your system failed, call a qualified technician. While you wait, ask your LIHEAP office about repair help. Ready.gov notes that LIHEAP can help people who can't afford heating costs, weatherization or energy-related home repairs.
If you heat with oil or propane and the tank ran dry, see our guide to emergency heating oil and propane help. In some state programs the crisis office has to authorize the delivery before the truck comes, so call the office before you order.
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If you rent and the landlord controls the heat
Heat requirements for rental housing are set by state and local law, and they vary. New York City's rules give a sense of what such a law can look like. HPD, the city's housing agency, says building owners are legally required to provide heat and hot water to tenants:
NYC rule | What HPD says |
|---|---|
Heat season | October 1 through May 31 |
Daytime, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. | If it's below 55 degrees outside, the inside temperature must be at least 68 degrees |
Overnight, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. | The inside temperature must be at least 62 degrees, whatever the outdoor temperature |
Hot water | All year at a constant minimum of 120 degrees |
How to complain | Contact the landlord first. If they don't respond, file with 311 by phone, online or in the mobile app. You can file anonymously |
If an owner still fails to restore heat after a violation, HPD says its Emergency Repair Program may hire contractors to restore it and bill the owner.
Outside New York, the steps are similar even if the numbers differ:
Tell the landlord or manager in writing and keep a copy with the date and time.
Write down indoor temperatures with the date and time, ideally with photos of a thermometer.
Call your city or county code enforcement or housing office (in many cities that's 311) if the landlord doesn't fix it.
Don't stop paying rent on your own without checking your local law first. Rent withholding rules are strict and differ by place.
New York tenants can read our full guide to NYC heat season rights.
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Keeping warm tonight, safely
While you sort out the cause, focus on keeping people warm in one part of the home. The National Weather Service suggests these steps during power outages, and they work just as well when the heat is off:
Wear layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing, plus hats, mittens and blankets.
Close blinds or curtains to keep some heat in.
Close off rooms you don't need so you don't waste heat.
Put towels or rags in the cracks under doors.
Once your family is safe, check on neighbors who may be vulnerable.
If you live alone, ask a family member or neighbor to check on you every day.
Space heaters: the rules that prevent fires
If you have a working electric space heater, it can make one room livable. CPSC estimates that portable heaters, including electric space heaters, were involved in an average of 1,600 fires a year from 2020 to 2022, with an average of 70 deaths and 150 injuries a year. Follow its rules:
Do | Don't |
|---|---|
Keep the heater at least three feet from drapes, furniture, bedding and anything else that can burn | Plug it into an extension cord or power strip |
Plug it directly into a wall outlet | Leave it running while you sleep |
Set it on a stable, level surface where it won't be knocked over | Refuel a fuel-burning heater while it's on. Turn it off and let it cool first |
Check cpsc.gov/recalls to see if your model has been recalled | Use candles for light. CPSC recommends battery flashlights or lanterns instead |
Carbon monoxide: the hidden danger
Ready.gov says generators, camp stoves and charcoal grills should only be used outdoors, at least 20 feet from windows, and never to heat your home with a gas stovetop or oven. CPSC adds that a gasoline generator can produce as much carbon monoxide (CO) as hundreds of cars, and it estimates that about 750 people died from generator-related CO poisoning from 2012 to 2022.
CO alarms should be on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas, CPSC says, and they should run on batteries or have a battery backup so they work in an outage. Test them monthly.
The CDC lists the most common CO symptoms as headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. People who are asleep can die before they ever feel symptoms. If your CO alarm sounds or anyone feels these symptoms, get everyone outside to fresh air and call 911.
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Watching for cold-related illness
Warning sign | What it may mean | What to do |
|---|---|---|
Shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech or drowsiness | Hypothermia. Ready.gov says a body temperature below 95 degrees is an emergency | Call for medical help. Get to a warm room and warm the center of the body first: chest, neck, head and groin |
Numbness, white or grayish-yellow skin, skin that feels firm or waxy | Frostbite | Go somewhere warm. Use warm, not hot, water or body heat. Don't rub or massage the area |
NWS notes that hypothermia can happen in temperatures as warm as 60 degrees. The CDC suggests that people over 65 keep an easy-to-read thermometer where they'll see it often, because the ability to feel temperature changes decreases with age.
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Protecting your pipes and your medicine
Pipes: The CDC recommends insulating water lines that run along outside walls so they're less likely to freeze.
Refrigerated medicine: If the power is out for more than a day, Ready.gov says to throw out medicine that should be refrigerated, unless the label says otherwise, and to contact your doctor or pharmacist right away for a new supply.
Food: Ready.gov says a refrigerator keeps food cold for about four hours and a full freezer for about 48 hours if you keep the doors closed. Throw out food that has been at 40 degrees or higher for two hours or more.
Before you call
☐ Your utility account number and the shutoff notice or tag, if you have one
☐ Your fuel dealer's name and your tank gauge reading, if you use oil or propane
☐ Your landlord's contact details and a log of indoor temperatures, if you rent
☐ ID and recent proof of income for the LIHEAP application
☐ A list of anyone in the home who is older, very young, disabled or has a medical condition
☐ A charged phone and a backup charger
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When it's time to leave
If you can't keep a room warm, don't wait it out. Ready.gov advises going to a community location with power when cold is extreme, and checking with local officials about heating locations open near you. Your city's emergency management office, 311 line or local 211 can usually tell you where warming centers are open that night. Bring medicine, chargers, ID and something to sleep in.
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
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Related help
If you're facing a disconnection, start with our guide to the first 72 hours after a shutoff notice. If your furnace is the problem, see free furnace repair and emergency heating help.
Official sources
Last checked: October 23, 2026 (Ready.gov winter and power outage pages, CPSC winter release 26-217, NWS cold safety, NYC HPD heat rules).
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