Many of us are feeling the chill as temperatures have dropped to below zero around the UK recently. Snow has fallen and many of us have switched our heating on or pulled out our favourite blankets to keep warm.
As weather forecasters issued snow warning earlier this week, the National Energy System Operator said it expected power supplies to become particularly tight. And as the dark nights and cold temperatures prevail, more of us are staying indoors, using gas or electric heating and watching TV.
Many areas around the UK have been experiencing power cuts. So instead of the panic when all your lights switch off, it might be wise to prepare just in case. A woman has come up with a genius tip for you to be able to heat up water or food if your power goes out.
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Craft lover Tara Rondinelli, who has 224,000 on her Instagram page @littlepinelearners, said: “If you need to heat up water, soup or other food during a power outage, put tea lights in a muffin tin and you have a DIY stove!”
In her video, she places tealights into a muffin tray, lights them and puts a pan over the top. Offering her advice, she added: “You can’t completely cover the muffin tin holes or the flame will go out. You will have a little smoke residue on the bottom of the pot after cooking, but it easily wiped off for me!
“I wouldn’t suggest using your favourite pot for this. Cover the pot to heat the water or food quicker. Place a heat pad under the muffin tin.”
While some people seemed sceptical and wondered if the trick actually works, others have shared their experience of using the hack. One individual commented: “I recently used tea lights to heat water, make toast, quesadillas, and scrambled eggs. Our power was off after Hurricane Helene hit us here in Asheville. It does work.”
Another shared: “It does work. I did this for Hurricane Milton when we lost power. Obviously the less amount you are trying to boil, the better. It’s how I could have coffee!”
And a third suggested: “I did this but instead of a muffin tray I used a small loaf pan and I put the rack from my toaster oven over top to make coffee and instant noodles because the power was out for hours.”
While this hack could be incredibly useful, be careful when using tea lights at home. Always watch your DIY stove and don’t leave flames unattended, as it could be dangerous.