Blackout Preparation?

I'm sure this used to be called Economy 7. I assume that still exists. We opted out when all the children (eventually) left home as u wasn't practical to always leave the washer and dishwasher till the evening.

volver I realise I made an error in my last post, forget that whole para, it is completely wrong. I was talking about strong gusts making the blades go round faster, producing more power and causing an over load on the grid system.

I am rather unwell at present, on massive doses of antibiotics, so not really thinking straight. I will leave GN for, at least the rest of the morning and give my addled mind a rest in case I make any more stupid mistakes

Hope you feel better soon M0nica

Is this the article?

Worst case scenario. It may never happen. But it's best to be prepared, so stock up with candles and little battery operated lights. And buy a little camping gas stove. And blankets.

growstuff

Is this the article?

Yes, that's it

Apprently.. Nation Grid carried out trials of 100,000 Octopus customers this year. Nat Grid has written to suppliers asking them to contact customer offering it to millions more.
You just needed to reduce consumption for 2 hours during peak time 4.30 - 6.30.
Savings ranged between 23p - £4.35 during that period.

Not quite.

If you sign up for this you will be asked to reduce your consumption by an as-yet undefined %age when the grid is under stress, which means that when lots of people are using electricity or when there is less electricity being provided from sustainable resources. The 23p was an average saving, not the minimum.

I can't see this working. People don't understand it.

The risk of blackouts is caused by the government's stupid energy policy.

Get candles.

If there is no reduction in the usage of electricity, operators will have to pay to keep coal plants open which were otherwise planned for closure. It is expected to be cheaper to give people electricity for free during agreed certain times if they can reduce their usage, than paying the coal fired stations to stay open.

Both are ways of avoiding backouts.

Sparklefizz

Casdon

The biggest issue is that far more people live in homes with no alternative to electricity now, whereas as the seventies there were more coal fires and gas fires.

We couldn't get the coal, Casdon

We were lucky enough to have a cellar, my parents used to buy coal through the summer and had a good stock, so we didn’t go cold. This year I’m buying extra wood now for the log burner just in case, the longer it seasons the better anyway, so it just seems sensible to get in more than I normally would - I live in the middle of nowhere so there’s a plentiful supply.

I can't see how this will benefit families with children financially, although if it means no blackouts then that is good.

At that time of day, children are arriving home from school, probably hungry and needing a meal, needing to do homework (sitting in a cold room is not to do that is ot good), might want the TV on, lights on etc.

Those at home all day can adjust their lifestyles and help but it won't be easy for families to adjust.

sitting in a cold room is not to do that is ot good


Sitting in a cold room trying to do homework is not good

The 4:30 to 6:30 thing is a red herring. It might be a completely different time altogether, and it might change every day.

Not everything is done to benefit families with children financially.

Like I said, unlikely to work because its a bit complicated.

Endessa in Spain currently has a system as follows

Monday to Friday

Cheapest electricity = Midnight - 8 am
Medium rate = 8- 10am, 2-6pm and 10 - midnight
Highest rate = 10 - 2pm and 6- 10pm

Cheap rate applies from Midnight on Friday to 8am Monday

Everyone I know does their washing on the weekend or early morning and I’ve slow cooked casseroles/soup overnight in winter ! A quick blast in the microwave for lunch/ dinner means my bills are down on previous years before the new system came in.

I’d be happy to adapt to a money saving system.

The cheap rates overnight are a very similar system to economy 7, which runs from midnight to 7am. I already use the washing machine on the timer overnight, and the dishwasher. I’m sure lots of people do the same - it’s the evening use that would be the hardest to reduce.

henetha

Worst case scenario. It may never happen. But it's best to be prepared, so stock up with candles and little battery operated lights. And buy a little camping gas stove. And blankets.

A wind up torch might be useful as well, you don’t need to worry about batteries then. I keep one in my bedside cabinet in case there is a power cut during the night.

I’m just wondering if my gas central heating will also go off if there is an electric power cut, I guess it might not start up without electricity but if it’s already on what happens? I think that in a power cut I can still use my gas hob if I use a match to light the burners.

Also I assume my phone would still work so I could still access the internet?

Apologies if I appear ignorant about such things, I’m just pondering how I’d cope in an extended blackout. I remember a couple of winters ago I ended up spending a cold winters evening at my Mums house as I had no electricity for several hours due to workmen outside. But I seem to remember in the 1970s blackouts, they only lasted for a couple of hours at a time - or at least I think they did.

Provided the nearest phone mast is still working, your mobile phone will work during a power cut until the battery runs out Teacheranne. Your home telephone won’t work if your landline has been switched over to digital, as it relies on your home Wi-Fi to operate. If you haven’t yet been switched to digital, the old landline will work.

So many gas appliances are fired by electronic ignition now. Most gas cookers are.

My gas boiler won't work if the electricity is off.

My landline won't work, although the mobile phones will. I have a MiFi gadget for wi-fi (which works from a phone signal).

I thought we were past all this - we need to find a reliable way to produce our own energy, as we used to.

The problems will really start if they blackout an entire area - shops, petrol stations, bank machines etc., won't be able to operate.?

This is now being reported on the BBC website.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61949246

DiamondLily

So many gas appliances are fired by electronic ignition now. Most gas cookers are.

My gas boiler won't work if the electricity is off.

My landline won't work, although the mobile phones will. I have a MiFi gadget for wi-fi (which works from a phone signal).

I thought we were past all this - we need to find a reliable way to produce our own energy, as we used to.

The problems will really start if they blackout an entire area - shops, petrol stations, bank machines etc., won't be able to operate.?

Yes although you can light gas hobs with a safety gas lighter or matches, and a gas fire too.

However, the central heating pump is driven by electricity.

I remember the 1970s and it was miserable, trying to keep small children warm, safe and fed.

The problems will really start if they blackout an entire area - shops, petrol stations, bank machines etc., won't be able to operate.

I can't help remembering that someone told me off a few days ago for saying that we were over reliant on modern technology.

What happens to those people on the at risk register which a lot of us are?