Kitsie does your kerosene heater have an odor? I have never been able to handle the smell of kerosene however a friend told me the new ones don't have an odor.

We have a propane fireplace in a corner of the living room that we use when the power goes out - fan doesn't run but it is toasty. I would be afraid to use anything that is not vented or at least a window open a little close to it, you can get gassed without realizing it.

Marysewfun

Emergency essentials carries ventless propane heaters. You could get the brands and check them on the net.
Lynda

We have a couple of portable propane camp heaters. They take the small tanks like you use on camp stoves, put out alot of heat & last quite awhile. They really help take off the chill. I think they run around $40, so you may want to check them out too...

You'all are smart to plan ahead. Last year we had a power outage when temp was down in low 20's and I was never so miserable. I live in a small house with a crawl space, wood floors, never thought about how cold it gets, I have always lived in a house on a slab and had a gas fireplace. But in the country we seem to loose power a lot. I am going to have to think about propane heater.

We bought a small house heated with two monitor heaters (2 oil tanks) we decided to get rid of them and install a wood stove. We should be able to heat the house enough that it's comfortable for around 800.00 for the winter. The stove will heat a 1500 sq foot area. This should pay for itself in the money we save by next Christmas or sooner and since we're out in the country we don't have to worry about the electricity going out and not having heat, plus if needed we can cook on it. So far we love it.

The 1st house I owned had no central heat and the 1st year we heated with a woodstove and a Kerosun (we moved in in January). The Kerosun was great. There was no kerosene smell as long as the wick was properly trimmed and adjusted. We NEVER refilled the heater when it was hot, and Always in the garage with a syphon pump specifically for this purpose. A bit of a pain. There was enough "natural airflow" in that house we didn't worry about venting :) It kept us very comfy that first year in combo with the woodburner. It could not heat the entire house by itself. After the furnace was installed in the spring, it was relegated to the garage for heat out there. We did use it in every house to heat the utility area when the power is out to keep pipes from freezing. Now that the kids are grown I just close off the rest of the house and heat the kitchen with the stove and stay in there all day and pile on the quilts at night!
I wish I had a spot for some type of fireplace or stove in this house.

They have spill and tilt sensors and are safe for use by persons with common sense!! Follow the directions and buy quality kerosene.