What arrangements have you made for cooking should the energy be turned off?

I'm not a diary keeper or planner, all alien to me. However, we always have more than enough food on the shelves to cook anything we'd want to eat.

We have a gas hob, log burner, BBQ. We'll be fine. The phone power banks are confusing, but I suppose I don't care enough to figure it out. I took a look at amazon, it made no sense.

Here is a link to the actual plan for sceduling powercuts, should they become necessary.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/995049/esec-guidance.pdf
You can find out what reference letter your house comes under from your power bill. It will be " a letter, often boxed, located near the top. Note that not every energy supplier will include your load block on your energy bills, so if this is the case you will need to contact them directly to find out." When you have this, look in the rota tables.

scheduling

Thank you Elegran, I have found mine.

BlueBelle

I haven’t got the brain power to worry about this to be honest if gas and electric are blacked out at the same time (extremely unlikely) I ll eat cold food
I honestly couldn’t care less people are living underground in Ukraine and my family managed in the war I managed in the 70 s with 3 small kids and I ll manage again
It isn’t worth a minutes worry it’s not happened it may not happen just live for now

My new cooker works with manual lighting espee so think you were told wrong

I’m with you. Far too much overthinking.
Its only 3 hrs

karmalady

teacheranne there is a neck reading light on amazon which is LED and will last 80 hours. I bought one early last summer, to crochet by. It does work for crochet and knitting or sitting reading in bed and is comfortable. £16.99

re cooking: 3 hours 4-7 will not mean emergency measures for me, I have some cuppasoups and they will do. Any longer then I can cook easily and safely on my trangia, using meths, which I have already prepped for and bought in

Thank you, I’ll have a look for one, I’d not heard of them before.

Surely with notice of a planned 3 hours without electricity, you could eat before, after or have a sandwich.

Thank you, Elegran. That's well worth reading.

In my opinion, and it can be nothing more, I think the country would go along with 1 - 5. However, if you were getting towards the last five, I think there would be questions. Why, for instance, would we have reached the equivalent situation that Ukraine has with their energy bombed out of existence by Russia?

I am glad they have planned. I hope it will not become so extreme and doubt that it will. However, I can see anger and civil unrest if we had to increase and go further up the scale. I imagine this would come from those who would express surprise that it's not "only 3 hours", as it certainly isn't after the first few levels.

I hope this negligent government has some excellent organisational behaviour bods on board to persuade the currently "it's only 3 hours" not to mind. I also hope they have people already working on it not being needed - but I will believe it when I see it. I trust those who know how to do these things; I do not trust the government.

We all hope it won't come to that. However, there is nothing wrong with being prepared and nothing right about ignoring the possibilities.

It is good that there are plans made, DaisyAnne but of course if it does have to be done they will still have to implement the plans. As you say, it is by no means "only 3 hours" It is "3 hours at a time"

Even at the minimal Level One, everyone would have at least three of those three-hour blocks in a week, and some would have four. Some people would have two separate blocks on the same day, and another block on another day.

At level three almost everyone would have three blocks on each of two days, (sometimes consecutive days) plus other single blocks. And so on.

They will have problems getting this through to everyone - and there are detailed plans for up to eighteen levels! Let us hope it doesn't come to that!

All those people who say they are doing nothing to prepare are going to be rushing round like blue-arsed flies if the worst comes to the worst. Will they be relying on their neighbours for help?

To be fair, my response was not linked to any worked-out plan on my/our behalf, just to the thread title. Just thought of another trick- like most of us who got married in the 70s- still got 2 fondue pots, with methylated spirit! Could re-heat stuff on there lol!

I haven't really been thinking about it all, but now I will be going shopping for a flask.

Fleurpepper

To be fair, my response was not linked to any worked-out plan on my/our behalf, just to the thread title. Just thought of another trick- like most of us who got married in the 70s- still got 2 fondue pots, with methylated spirit! Could re-heat stuff on there lol!

I wish I had. That's a good idea. Haven't they come back into fashion?

Just watching the news, those poor people in the Ukraine don't have any electricity at all.

I have ordered another flask, the latest models from thermos are very good indeed. Prices are already up 60% on amazon since I bought the last one in august. Cheaper from the thermos site with free p and p for tea.

For three days I have been experimenting: boiling a very full kettle and filling 900 and 470ml flasks and a mug. It is definitely saving money and is actually much more convenient and very hot to the last drop. Enough for my hot drinks all day. I cannot be accurate on energy savings but I am thinking 20-30p a day and it all adds up, £9 a month on my (cheaper) fixed rate

I am not making any arrangements. IF.......and it is still a very big IF, I get a three hour outage, I think I can manage to survive without having to worry about no 'hot food'!!!

Assuming we have notice of these outage (should they occur - (and will probably not), I may consider filling a jug flask with hot water, but that will be all.

THREE HOURS!!!! -honestly folk - are you going out and spending money on purchasing camping cooking items for that sort of outage time???? I will save that money and use it for keeping my flat nice and warm the rest of the time.

THREE HOURS!!!! -honestly folk - are you going out and spending money on purchasing camping cooking items for that sort of outage time???.


I agree! We must all have lived through the 3/4 day weeks and power cuts of the 70’s, so why the panic!
I used to be very cross when my “area” at work had its power cut and we worked by the smelly camping lanterns provided and then I would go home to the flat (another part of London) and guess what?
Power cut. Heigh Ho. Survived!

I take it you are all very fit and mobile, and don't rely on being in a warm room because you don't move around and keep up your body heat? That you don't have babies and young children to care for with no way of heating formula? No elderly parents to worry about? That you are not living alone in a home that you can't afford to keep all that warm at the best of times so it will cool down faster than average. Already there are stories of people who can afford either to heat their home or to eat.

Yes, you survived, as did most of us the last time there were power cuts, but not everyone did, and many had a miserable time Those who got through it best were the ones who had made their plans ahead and not left it until the lights all went out.

Urmstongran

For a 3 hour window and given advance warning too, I couldn’t be bothered to faff about for a hot meal. I’d make a sandwich!
#lazygran
?

I am also a #lazygran!

No one will starve in 3 hours.

Thank you for the very interesting link elegran. Won`t it be wonderful if we only experience a power outage of three hours a couple of times a week, no doubt putins laughing henchmen are waiting in the wings to disrupt things here. Level 1 is ok, once it gets upwards of level 1, people are going to begin to struggle

No card payments, no petrol pumping, no dentists, and on it goes. Thing is that there are many people who would struggle to cope, so a bit of prep here and there would be very helpful for that `just in case` scenario. We are not all the same as the `I am all right jack` types

There are quite a few ordinary souls who might just need an idea or two

Yes I agree with others, 1st World Problem, 3 hours is that all there's always Weetabix or similar!

MawtheMerrier

^THREE HOURS!!!! -honestly folk - are you going out and spending money on purchasing camping cooking items for that sort of outage time???^.


I agree! We must all have lived through the 3/4 day weeks and power cuts of the 70’s, so why the panic!
I used to be very cross when my “area” at work had its power cut and we worked by the smelly camping lanterns provided and then I would go home to the flat (another part of London) and guess what?
Power cut. Heigh Ho. Survived!

Why do you say we will only have a shutdown for three hours when it isn't true? The plan is there for you to see. You seem to think it is big and clever to remain ignorant of the facts. Elegran summed up the plan.

^It is good that there are plans made, DaisyAnne but of course if it does have to be done they will still have to implement the plans. As you say, it is by no means "only 3 hours" It is "3 hours at a time"

Even at the minimal Level One, everyone would have at least three of those three-hour blocks in a week, and some would have four. Some people would have two separate blocks on the same day, and another block on another day.

At level three almost everyone would have three blocks on each of two days, (sometimes consecutive days) plus other single blocks. And so on.

They will have problems getting this through to everyone - and there are detailed plans for up to eighteen levels! Let us hope it doesn't come to that!

All those people who say they are doing nothing to prepare are going to be rushing round like blue-arsed flies if the worst comes to the worst. Will they be relying on their neighbours for help?^

Ignorance of the facts is not a defence in law or in life. You can, of course, choose to be that person. But trying to tell others what to do, based on a lie is verging on criminal.

It is not "just three hours". It is not the "1970s". If you believe that - fine. However, please do not try and tell others that your ill-informed view is a fact. It isn't.

Quote from Elegran is from ^ to ^

I've had a large wide neck flask for many moons. Really useful for keeping soups, bolognese, stews, etc, warm for a long time.

I shan't mind a flask upgrade Fleurpepper. If the cost of energy doesn't come down, they may come in useful even if the "plan" doesn't have to be put into action.

However, it seems Putin will not back down, so I feel it best that I am prepared.

I have a little portable flat plate hob that runs on gas canisters. I’ve seen similar ones used at cookery demonstrations. Unlike camping stoves there is no flame. I haven’t actually used it yet - it’s been my emergency back up for the past 20 years. I do have a gas cooker and I can light the hob with a long handled match if need be.
I’ve also replaced the batteries in the big lantern I’ve had for even more years. It will light up most of the room. I have also replaced my stock of candles which reminds me you could have a chaffing dish run off chaffing candles to keep food warm if already cooked - they have some cheap ones on Wayfair.