Candles, matches, torches are you organized??

[justasking111]

Just been out the roads are mad busy, ditto shops. Battening down the hatches I guess. Our house all electric so we're stuffed if the power goes down we're in a red area. But we do have candles, matches and torches so will be hunkering down with a book .

Anyone better prepared

@HeadPain

Oh and why are people preparing water (I don't mean hot water), why would water be cut off?

It depends on the type of water supply you have. If gravity, then chances are you'll be fine. But if pumping is required at any point, it will go off when the electricity does.

There is also heavy rain and high spring tides to contend with, and I think flooding can disrupt clean water supply too.

I did buy logs for the fire the other day, so that is a positive

I am in South Wales so red zone. Did a supermarket shop today, have torches and candles to hand, phones fully charged etc. Weather seems calm at the moment...

@carltonscroop

It depends on the type of water supply you have. If gravity, then chances are you'll be fine. But if pumping is required at any point, it will go off when the electricity does.

oh right, well I haven't a clue what we have :/

There is also heavy rain and high spring tides to contend with, and I think flooding can disrupt clean water supply too.

Ah right yeh

@HeadPain

Oh and why are people preparing water (I don't mean hot water), why would water be cut off?

Storms don't just cause problems with power supplies.

If for example water pipes get damaged by heavy rainfall or falling trees/ masonry it could easily be a few days before it gets restored.

If that happens the water company will bring round huge water tanks on the backs of trucks and lots of supplies of big plastic bottles of water, but that doesn't happen instantly so in the interim its prudent to have some water supplies yourself just for drinking (forget washing!) especially if you have bottle fed babies.

All the advice I have given on this thread is based on actual situations I have been in myself. I'm not a 'prepper' purely being prepared in case of the worst but I do live my life expecting that at any time I may lose power/water/access to the outside world because it happens at least 2 - 3 times a year to us.

We haven’t specifically prepared but always have water, wood for the log burner, lighter for the gas hob if the electrics go out, batteries, stuff downloaded on iPad etc
The pantry stays stocked so plenty of non perishables.
I do need to charge all our devices though!

I grew up in an area with regular power cuts so I always keep some candles in the freezer. This makes them burn more slowly so they last longer and also they are easy to find in the dark.

@Scrowy Ok. Well I have 5 x 1.5L . 2 people.

??

@goMe46

Power cut= The fish tank Heater won't work

I was checking the power network website last night (friend had a power cut). They actually had a FAQ about what to do for tropical fish tanks! Basically insulate it as best you can with towels, and keep the oxygen going by agitating the water: www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/power-cut/help-and-advice

www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/power-cut/help-and-advice Reposting the link again for everyone - it tells you how to sign up for text alerts, and things like food in freezers, etc. Better to be overprepared than unable to get the information when you need it!

Found the battery powered radio but needs 4 replacement batteries and only have 2, fml. Hope tv remote has same size.

My dad/his body is currently reposing at local funeral directors prior to funeral next week, so worrying about him and the other people's bodies if power goes... And is this going to still affect things next week?

I've charged up a couple of power banks and the laptops. I'm also a candle queen so have a tonne of these (but will use them safely blah blah).

We only have electric cooking so if the power goes out we'll be on sandwiches! If the power is still on at lunchtime I may have dinner at lunchtime just in case. I have plenty of wine though so that's all good!

Thankfully we have a gas fire in the lounge that doesn't require any electric to get going so we won't freeze. The flue goes right through the wall behind our bed headboard too so it keeps that room warmer too.

Otherwise it'll be jigsaws and games by candlelight while listening to DH moan that he's bored (because he cannot believe there is any entertainment in this world without a screen!).

Not much we can do outside. The table is in a sheltered part of the patio out of the direction of the wind. I doubt the fence to next door will survive but that's theirs to replace, not ours.

I hope the news is all overhyped but the combination of the weather and a high tide in the SW isn't looking good.

Take care of yourselves everyone!

Stupid me still didn't get round to buying a torch since last power cut and every other power cut when I don't have one and say we need one.

Have torches, camping lanterns, portable radios, plenty of spare batteries for everything, camping gaz stove.

Have gas hob but it might not work in a power cut.

Bread, butter, tinned food, biscuits

A large water tank in the loft

The hot water cylinder would last a few days if no baths or showers

And a plain old telephone that can be plugged in.

Can charge mobile phones in the car (if network not down) and can create a mobile hotspot.

Pity the poor people in Ukraine.

Bungied the full bin to the railings, and laid down the empty ones
Tidied up outside and checked the trampoline weights
Prayed for the rickety fence (nothing else I can do about it!)
Got the camping stove in from the garage and the kettle and bialetti in from the camper
Got my warm socks and pjs, hot water bottles and spare blankets in from the camper. Got head torches and lights in, and charged them all.

Made sure the laundry is all run through, and DDs fleece pjs are clean
Made sure the camper battery is fully charged, and the water tanks and loo are functioning. Filled a couple of water bottles and the dogs’ bowls.
Went grocery shopping (I normally go on a Thursday anyway, but this week I would have left it till tomorrow if we didn’t have a weather warning. I did pick up a few extra packaged snacks. If we don’t need them, they’ll go in the camper)
Made sure the dogs had a long walk so we don’t have to go tomorrow
Made sure both of our kindles, iPads and phones are charged, and that I have a couple of books/audiobooks/films downloaded ready. I asked DD to do hers (but I bet she didn’t) made sure my current knitting pattern is printed out.
Washed my hair before bed and got DD in the bath
Turned all the smart lights off at the switches. If the power goes off at night, they all come on when it comes back and you can’t turn them off with Alexa until the bloody router comes back online.
Took out dinner to defrost that can be easily reheated on the stove

It looks like a lot written down, but it took all of about fifteen minutes to gather stuff we already had in various places, and secure things outside, and a bit of forethought about food/warmth tomorrow. I’d rather spend a few minutes securing stuff today, than an hour picking up the contents of my bin off the street tomorrow.

If it all comes to nothing, I’ll enjoy being caught up on the laundry tomorrow. Getting blankets together and filling a few water bottles is hardly code red panicking, and it means I can not worry about having to go out to the garage in a gale before I have any coffee. We have short power cuts all the time here, and they’re a right pain. It’s ALWAYS just before you were about to make a coffee, never just before a boring zoom meeting!

I wasn't even aware about tomorrow's weather until my friend text me earlier saying it would be best to cancel out lunch plans. It's only meant to last a day here, so just planned on staying in for the day.

So far I've moved my car away from any trees, we live in a flat so no garden to prep. Rang both sets of parents to check that they are staying in tomorrow. Charged a couple of power packs to charge my phone if we do have a power cut, and downloaded some things to watch on BBC iPlayer in case the WiFi goes down. Put the dishwasher and a load of washing on earlier in case of power cut. Picked a new book to read. We've already got torches, batteries, candles, matches etc.

We have gas central heating and a gas hob oven, so I thought that if there is a power cut then it would be fine for heating, hot water and cooking, but after reading this thread I've realised that the boiler and oven probably do need electricity. Never had a power cut here, but going to have a quick shower now in case there's no hot water in the morning, and will fill our 3 flasks with hot water in the morning just in case. Just set a reminder on my phone to put the heating on first thing too.

Off to Google how to/if you can light a gas hob with a match .

@SpaghettiArmsMurderer it's just a gas ring, no different to a gas hob really? But it's a big kitchen anyway...

If you are all electric do you have a little gas camping stove with little gas bottle and with 2 rings? We have had and electric but if I did not have gas I would use that.

I have 2 wind up torches, one is also a radio and has slots to charge my phone (it also has a solar panel but I doubt I can use that today).

I always have candles and I have a gas hob so should be OK.

Wow, mumsnetters really do get competitive about everything.

@WhenIHadYou

Wow, mumsnetters really do get competitive about everything.

Not getting killed by Zombies is serious business. 🧟‍♀️

Stay alive, all. 🪓

Huh? No competition, just reminding each other of what we can do or might have in the house. 🙄

@WhenIHadYou

Wow, mumsnetters really do get competitive about everything.

Do you remember when we were going to buy the Ark Royal for the zombie apocalypse?

@HeadPain

Found the battery powered radio but needs 4 replacement batteries and only have 2, fml. Hope tv remote has same size.

My dad/his body is currently reposing at local funeral directors prior to funeral next week, so worrying about him and the other people's bodies if power goes... And is this going to still affect things next week?

Don’t worry they will probably have back up generator etc. Sorry for your loss

For fish tanks if you have a way of heating water could you fill bottles with hot water and put in tank?