Improvising light – safely and without open flames indoors

LEDs are small, very efficient light sources. They turn far more electricity into light than old incandescent bulbs and therefore hardly get warm. In return they send their light out in a tight beam in one direction. That is good for lighting a path, but unpleasant in a room: the bright spot dazzles, and next to it everything stays dark.

This is where scattering helps. Water in a bottle bends the light at the curved surface and redirects it in many directions. A milky plastic or a little soapy water strengthens the scattering further. That way a harsh point of light becomes an evenly glowing bottle that lights up a table without dazzling.

Light surfaces do the same on a larger scale. A white wall or ceiling throws light back into the room, a mirror behind the lamp adds noticeably to the effect, and kitchen foil spreads it too. Instead of pointing the lamp at yourself, point it at a light surface – and the whole room becomes brighter.

The basic kit for power cuts is simple: one torch or headlamp per person, a battery lantern for the room and enough spare batteries. Headlamps have the advantage of keeping both hands free – when cooking, looking after children or on the stairs. Many have several brightness levels; the low one is enough for most tasks and lasts much longer.

Store spare batteries cool and dry in their packaging or a box, so their terminals do not touch metal objects such as keys or coins. For longer storage, take batteries out of devices, because they can leak and damage the lamp. Check your lamps regularly, for example twice a year.

Lamps that need no battery change are also useful, such as those with a crank or a small solar panel, as are small lights or glow strips to mark stairs and exits. Your phone has a torch, but its battery may be needed for emergency calls and information – use it only as a last reserve.

Authorities recommend torches rather than candles during power cuts, because candles are a common cause of fires – especially when people are fumbling in the dark, tired, or have children and pets in the room. If you do use candles, only in stable, non-flammable holders on a firm surface, with plenty of distance from curtains, furniture, paper and blankets. Never leave them unattended, never alone with children or animals, and put them out before you leave the room or go to sleep.

Improvised oil lamps, can burners and “candle hacks” from the internet do not belong in homes. They tip over easily, get unexpectedly hot, and burning fat or oil is very hard to put out. Barbecues, gas stoves, patio heaters or generators are likewise never run indoors, in tents, garages or vehicles – not for light and not for warmth.

The reason is carbon monoxide. This gas forms when something burns with too little air. It is invisible and odourless and can be fatal. Typical signs are headache, dizziness and nausea, often in several people at once. Then get everyone outside immediately and call the local emergency number (112 in the EU). Working smoke alarms and, where available, carbon monoxide alarms are an important protection.

Light where you need it, instead of making the whole room bright: a bottle lantern on the table, a headlamp for moving around, a small light on the stairs. That way the batteries last much longer. Do not point bright lamps straight into other people's eyes; point them at a wall or ceiling instead.

Your eyes adjust to darkness, but it takes quite a while. A brief glance into a bright lamp undoes that adjustment again. That is why many headlamps have a red light, which dazzles the eyes less and is good for finding your way in a tent or at night.

Always keep the lamps in the same, easy-to-reach place – next to the bed or by the front door, for instance. In a power cut at night you do not want to be searching in the dark.

Hold a small “power cut evening” with your family: lights off, and then manage only with lamps and batteries. Build a bottle lantern together, try out how much light a white wall reflects, and see whether everyone can find their lamp in the dark. Children usually have great fun doing this and lose some of their fear of the dark.

Afterwards you know whether there are enough lamps and batteries, which lamp suits the table and which the stairs, and where something is still missing. A trial run like this is far more relaxed than the real thing.