Next winter could be challenging: How to prepare

Troublesome winter: emergency heating is no longer a niche concern

The upcoming winter may be challenging. Fuel prices are high, and oil and gas boilers will suffer through it. Added to this is the risk of power outages. The question is not whether it will be cold, but how you heat up when central heating fails.

The cold equation: expensive gas and blackouts

The memory of last year's blackout remains. No one expected it, except those who had been warning about the situation. Now, the prediction is repeating itself: high fuel prices, oil and gas boilers pushed to their limit, and an electrical grid that offers no guarantees. The solution repeated in preparedness analyses is to buy a butane stove and several cylinders before demand spikes. The problem is storage space: in a city apartment, where do you keep all that?

Butane, paraffin, and other alternatives

There are foldable and portable solutions. A 1.3 kW gas heater serves as a burner and radiator, running on butane cartridges. For longer cooking periods, a two-burner stove with a large cylinder can be stored in a cupboard. Small camping cylinders are more expensive proportionally, but they can be used with adapters if long-term use is not anticipated.

Paraffin emerges as the most interesting option for an emergency scenario. Stoves are three times smaller than butane units, the fuel is stored in lightweight containers, and it is less flammable. However, paraffin is expensive, and butane cylinders benefit from tax breaks. Those who have tried all systems conclude that, aside from price, paraffin outperforms butane.

The issue of humidity and safety

Butane has a drawback few mention: it generates a lot of water vapor. In the north, a butane stove can turn a room into a lake. In Madrid, humidity is not an issue—it averages around 17% in summer and peaks at only 40% in winter—but in humid areas, ventilation is necessary daily. Safety is another matter: carbon monoxide does not forgive. CO, CO2, and gas detectors with audible alarms are essential.

Electrical: batteries and solar generators

For blackouts, the simplest solution is a solar generator: a battery with integrated converters, plug&play, recharged via panels or the grid. The minimum capacity to keep frozen goods, refrigerators, and lighting functional for five or six hours should not be less than 2,000 Wh. In areas where power cuts are common, some people have resorted to cooking with the car running and a 2 kW inverter connected to the house. Thorough insulation and a chimney are the ultimate plan B.

The heat, not the cold

Not everyone views winter as the enemy. Some argue that the real problem is heat, not cold. In Barcelona, winter barely lasts a week: with a sweatshirt, blanket, and duvet, you can cope. Others prefer the cold to the 'unhealthy Saharan heat.' The discussion remains open.

Nevertheless, there is no consensus. Some maintain that last winter was already problematic and this one will be no different; others believe the real issue is heat. One thing is certain: bills are not going down. And when the first power cut hits, only those who bought the stove on sale will be able to avoid arguing online.