Consider reversing a flashlight battery, the easiest one to get to and turn around, to cut the electrical circuit during storage.
Bare in mind that when you try to use the torch, it won't work. You'll have to remember what you did, which may be difficult if several years have gone by, and then reverse it again, which may be difficult in the dark. And you might be in a hurry, if the power outage coincides with some kind of emergency.
(I like torches, and I usually (eg, right now), have at least two on my person.)