HELP PLEASE! BASKING BULB HAS COPPERED OUT!

[otisthetortoise]

Okay, this is an emergent situation. To be honest, I know it isn't much but I'm just worried about Otis, she's three months off one year and a tiny little thing.
So I woke up this morning to see my bulbs, which come on at 7am, weren't switched on as normal. The UVB bulb was fine but the basking bulb still off. I've checked both switches and the timer, tried plugging in without the timer, etcetera. Every time the UVB bulb does as expected, but the basking bulb remains off.
Otis has been asleep all this time now, and I can get a new basking bulb in an hour or two, but the shops have funny times on a Sunday here.
Although unlikely, it might've been the fuse, so I'm replacing the fuse with fingers crossed. But the ultimatum is that I'm getting a new basking bulb, and my urgent question is - do I warm Otis up with something else or let her sleep? The room is toasty so temperatures won't drop (she tends to sleep in her cool area).
Or any basic advice, please, for those who are probably laughing at me for fretting so much it's just this has never happened to me before and I just rely on the bulbs turning on. Thank goodness I was actually here!
I put this in health as I thought Otis may be affected (obviously) without the bulb though I understand it's more in the long run and she should be getting another this afternoon!
Olivia

 

[wellington]

As long as the location of his enclosure is in a warm place then everything should be fine until you get the new bulb. If you are still concerned, you could use a regular 60 watt incandescent light bulb for the basking bulb or until you get a new bulb

 

[otisthetortoise]

As long as the location of his enclosure is in a warm place then everything should be fine until you get the new bulb. If you are still concerned, you could use a regular 60 watt incandescent light bulb for the basking bulb or until you get a new bulb

Thank you so much. Yes, it's all currently 21 degrees Celsius in here. Nice and warm for her. And I'll try that bulb idea, as she seems to be stirring and as she usually basks I don't want her to fret that anything's out of the ordinary (because it's totally just Otis fretting not me!)

 

[Yvonne G]

You can use a plain old incandescent bulb to provide a heat spot.

 

[Tom]

In the wild they experience the occasional colder, cloudy day. Its no big deal for your tortoise to go a few hours one day with no basking bulb.

Sounds like you should buy a six pack of bulbs, so you'll always have an extra on hand. That's what I do.

P.S. You don't need the over-priced and often incorrect pet shop bulbs that are marketed for reptiles. Don't use "spot" bulbs", "intense basking bulbs" or "infrared bulbs". Regular incandescent flood bulbs work perfectly. I get mine at the hardware store. I use 65 watt cool white flood bulbs and I adjust the height to get the correct basking temperature under them. You can use higher or lower wattage bulbs depending on your enclosure and temperatures, or you can raise or lower the bulbs like I do, or you can run a rheostat and simply dial in the correct temperature.

 

[otisthetortoise]

Thank you all!
@Tom , I bought two of the ones you describe from Homebase, (didn't trust the pet shop ones as much after this). One is 40W, the other 60W, and both are working just fine (I think those were the watts...the box is downstairs).
@Yvonne G & @wellington , thanks so much for your quick and useful advice
A new bulb is installed and is working great; she's running (the tortoise version of 'running' ) around happily and has eaten, burrowed, and reacted pretty much perfectly to her new bulb.
Olivia