Power cuts - are you prepped?

Just a point, be careful where you store your emergencyj supplies. I did think of getting a camping stove and gas bottles and storing them in my garage - but then realised that I would not be able to open the garage door if there was n o leccie!!!!!

Blossoming

Apart from the freezer potentially defrosting we will manage. There is a small solid fuel stove in the thread if we get desperate! We have quite a bit of outdoor and camping equipment that will come in handy.

If we are talking about the coming winter, average temperatures should mean that freezer contents will remain unscathed as long as you don’t open the door/lid Up to 3 hours should be absolutely fine - and the fuller the better .
Yes, keep emergency food supplies which don’t need cooking - bread and cheese?
We’ll be fine!

Casdon

anna7 hospitals and care homes have emergency generators so that essential equipment continues to work in the event of power cuts. I doubt the same would apply to retirement apartments, so each resident would need to make their own preparations presumably. I’ve been thinking about my very elderly parents and how they would manage, and looking at battery operated heated throws as one solution. They do have a gas fire and cooker, but just as a backup.

lots of people with disabilities and illnesses just live in normal residential homes don't they, even small residential type care homes are just a normal home on a street

JaneJudge

Casdon

anna7 hospitals and care homes have emergency generators so that essential equipment continues to work in the event of power cuts. I doubt the same would apply to retirement apartments, so each resident would need to make their own preparations presumably. I’ve been thinking about my very elderly parents and how they would manage, and looking at battery operated heated throws as one solution. They do have a gas fire and cooker, but just as a backup.

lots of people with disabilities and illnesses just live in normal residential homes don't they, even small residential type care homes are just a normal home on a street

Yes, it’s a real worry. I should imagine that homes registered with local authorities will be supported to develop contingency plans, but for people in their own homes, I’m not sure at all, particularly those who don’t have daily visits from carers who can advise and help them prepare. I haven’t seen anything in the press about this yet.

All this talk of power cuts is complete scaremongering and very unlikely to happen. All it does is create panic and then people stockpile. Unless we have an extremely severe winter and no wind to power turbines then power cuts just won't happen.

Will someone please advise as to power banks?
What do they do and what should I be looking for?

It’s like a battery for your mobile phone, you charge it up and then can plug it into your phone to charge that.
They are quite slim, mine was about £60.00 it holds it’s charge well.

Thankyou Oopsadaisy
I shall get my GD onto it.

kissngate

All this talk of power cuts is complete scaremongering and very unlikely to happen. All it does is create panic and then people stockpile. Unless we have an extremely severe winter and no wind to power turbines then power cuts just won't happen.

You need to tell the National Grid, seems that they are prepping! Quote:
'Households could experience a series of three-hour power cuts this winter if Vladimir Putin shuts off gas supplies from Russia and Britain experiences a cold snap, National Grid has warned.'

kissngate

All this talk of power cuts is complete scaremongering and very unlikely to happen. All it does is create panic and then people stockpile. Unless we have an extremely severe winter and no wind to power turbines then power cuts just won't happen.

Kissngate There is nothing wrong with being prepared. It’s not scaremongering at all.

Jaxjacky

Cuts are the worse case scenario.
A scheme will be launched 1st November to homes with smart meters offering incentives not to use heavy usage appliances between certain hours, detail so far is here:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63155827

Thanks for the link Jaxjacky. Lots of information on it. Cuts will more than likely be in the morning or peak time between 4pm - 9pm. Not throughout the night but if anyone's still worried, I can recommend a rechargeable LED worklight like this. Our's was about £40 but I've seen them cheaper. It's like a indoor floodlight.

As Daisymae said - cuts up to 3 hours.

I'll try to remember to keep my mobile charged over night and know that will easily last me through the following day. Loss of digital phone doesn't worry me as I use the mobile. If I don't remember to charge, I'll make good use of my powerbank my DD bought me.

An old plug-in phone,' candles & night lights, torches,log/coal burner, aga.Fully stocked freezer. I hope we will be alright.
When storm Arwen blacked out our nearest city all the cash machines went down for quite a few days, so I was thinking of hiding a bit of cash.
I can still remember the fuss it caused as a student trying to study by candlelight and three of us getting into bed together for warmth.

Chestnut

Summerlove

I find this thread interesting and refreshing.

When people previously talked about buying things in advance and being prepared, they were derided for panicking, panic buying and causing more issues.

How lovely that people actually do understand that being prepared is a good thing.

Buying in advance is not the same as panic buying, especially if you buy a few months in advance. Panic buying is when people rush out to buy lorry loads of whatever they think is in short supply. This is done at the point of needing it!

I’m well aware of that. In fact I commented on the “in advance” part in my post!

I had to explain it here many many times in the midst of early Covid. Yet I was still accused of being a panic buyer. All because I had started buying one or two extra boxes of pasta in the weekly shop in January.

I can still remember the fuss it caused as a student trying to study by candlelight and three of us getting into bed together for warmth

That was your story and you’re sticking to it? .

SunshineSally

kissngate

All this talk of power cuts is complete scaremongering and very unlikely to happen. All it does is create panic and then people stockpile. Unless we have an extremely severe winter and no wind to power turbines then power cuts just won't happen.

Kissngate There is nothing wrong with being prepared. It’s not scaremongering at all.

Nothing at all.

As I said, I used to have an emergency box, which is a good idea to keep stocked in case of any (unspecified) emergency. Having things together where you can get at them means that you aren't scratting about in the dark, or if you need to evacuate in a hurry. Thanks to this thread I've bumped getting it sorted out to nearer the top of the Things To Do list .

Daisymae

kissngate

All this talk of power cuts is complete scaremongering and very unlikely to happen. All it does is create panic and then people stockpile. Unless we have an extremely severe winter and no wind to power turbines then power cuts just won't happen.

You need to tell the National Grid, seems that they are prepping! Quote:
'Households could experience a series of three-hour power cuts this winter if Vladimir Putin shuts off gas supplies from Russia and Britain experiences a cold snap, National Grid has warned.'

The media has sensationalised this. The National Grid updated their 'Emergency Planning' procedures setting out what would happen in worst case scenarios. Nuclear Power Plants, Army, Police, Fire service, County Councils etc do it regularly. It doesn't mean something bad is going to happen but they plan for worst case scenarios just in case. The media have taken it completely out of context without adding background info. The National Grid think 'margins' will be fine this winter.

kissngate

Daisymae

kissngate

All this talk of power cuts is complete scaremongering and very unlikely to happen. All it does is create panic and then people stockpile. Unless we have an extremely severe winter and no wind to power turbines then power cuts just won't happen.

You need to tell the National Grid, seems that they are prepping! Quote:
'Households could experience a series of three-hour power cuts this winter if Vladimir Putin shuts off gas supplies from Russia and Britain experiences a cold snap, National Grid has warned.'

The media has sensationalised this. The National Grid updated their 'Emergency Planning' procedures setting out what would happen in worst case scenarios. Nuclear Power Plants, Army, Police, Fire service, County Councils etc do it regularly. It doesn't mean something bad is going to happen but they plan for worst case scenarios just in case. The media have taken it completely out of context without adding background info. The National Grid think 'margins' will be fine this winter.

And that’s what we’re all doing kissngate - planning for the worst case scenario just in case!

If it happens, those who did not prepare would be freezing cold, dying for a hot drink and very bored.

I've got powdered milk too so I don't need to open the fridge in a power cut.

Scaremongering or not, I'd rather be prepared thank you. It's common sense. And I'm not stockpiling anything, just a few supplies in case it does happen.

If the worst case happens which from reading the above posts you all think it will then neither candles, torches or powdered milk will be of much use as Putin will have cut the cables under the English Channel from Holland, Belgium and France (and destroyed the pipeline from Norway) and we will be at War with Russia.

What do you suggest then Kissngate?

OnwardandUpward

If it happens, those who did not prepare would be freezing cold, dying for a hot drink and very bored.

I've got powdered milk too so I don't need to open the fridge in a power cut.

I shouldn’t think milk would go off in three hours if kept outside the fridge in winter.

It would be ok but I probably would prefer not to open the fridge freezr at all to get it out in a power cut, thats why I keep powdered milk.

Yammy

An old plug-in phone,' candles & night lights, torches,log/coal burner, aga.Fully stocked freezer. I hope we will be alright.
When storm Arwen blacked out our nearest city all the cash machines went down for quite a few days, so I was thinking of hiding a bit of cash.
I can still remember the fuss it caused as a student trying to study by candlelight and three of us getting into bed together for warmth.

An old plug-in phone won't work, if your area is 100% digital, as mine is.

Big hint: Make sure your mobile is fully charged for emergencies!

I'd just put the bottle of milk in a bowl of water - with a cloth draped over it, as we did when camping. The evaporative cooling works well and I wouldn't want to open the fridge in a power cut.