Power blackouts- why not during the day? *MNHQ editing to say this has become a more general power outage chat*

[BoobBoobBaby]

I’ve been reading about the proposed plan for power blackouts and they’re saying 4-7 on week days. Why then? Surely longer blackouts during the day, when we don’t need lights and kids are at school and most people are at work would be better? Or even 10pm-6am when most people are sleeping? Or is it because we don’t use much electricity then, so they’re picking peak times? I just don’t understand why those specific times? does anyone know?

Bugger that dim Truss. I think an information campaign is a great idea. It's infinitely preferable to not having one, then cutting off vulnerable elderly, ffs.

That's great in theory but what about those children that have sandwiches/packed lunches at lunchtime? Not all children have a hot meal during the day, and many through choice as school meals are awful

The occasional day without a hot meal won't kill them. You can vary it with things like salads, quiches, cold meat etc.

www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/pages/rota_load_faq.aspx there is quite a lot of useful information here.

If we did have an information campaign, then we could all be encouraged to use less power now, which would mean more for later. However, given we have little storage capacity I'm not sure how much that helps. Our government have allowed this situation to develop by allowing Rough gas storage to be closed. Other European countries have large storage capacity and have been working hard to fill theirs.

You can live perfectly well on a diet of cold foods, assuming parents to no way at all of providing something warm without electricity. And if they are rolling power cuts then it wouldn't be every evening for every household.

It is no good us saying how unfair this would be though because of xyz - if there isn't the energy capacity at the time, then there is no choice, they have to cut power to some. It's not like we can all just have less power at the time and if energy can be magicked up somehow to cover the shortfall, then it will be done so, even if it costs a ludicrous amount. This was done during the extreme heat wave in the summer when it was bought in at incredibly high prices from Europe. It is an action of last resort by the national grid.

You can't if your child will only eat 'safe' foods

I was listening to a Ukranian lady on the radio this morning in a flat that's 4 degrees. The Russians have blown up 30% of the country's power stations in the past 8 days.

We're making a conscious effort to use less power at home (because it was just laziness/habit that we put the oven on for a single dish and had the house lit up all evening). I resent paying Shell so much money. If that helps minimise the risk of power cuts, even better. I appreciate that not all families are able to do this, but a lot of us can (and should).

Can you give us an idea of what safe foods are.

For me (living through this very situation right now) you have to be prepared. So unfortunately that does mean changes to routines at times.

But you will have notice so you can prepare in advance and store as well as possible. Or change a main meal time.

Those with medical equipment may need to invest in a temp alternate power supply. For eg, cpap machines you can buy back up batteries for. Ups or inverters are other options.

It's shit. But somehow we battle through.

Many children with autism and sensory processing disorders will only eat what you would class as beige foods so chicken nuggets, oven chips, potato waffles etc. They will not deviate away from those foods.

I understand completely what you are saying as are many other posters about preparing in advance etc. but sometimes that isn't always practical or possible. If you are at work till 4/5 you cant prepare anything in advance of the power going off as you would have no means to heat it up, you also can't expect young children to wait until 8 at night to eat.

A more sensible solution would be to look at the big energy users such as business that keep their sites illuminated all night when empty, turn street lights off, turn off illuminated advertising hoardings etc. Surely shutting off domestic users during peak times is just going to move the peak to a later time as there will still be the same demand at 7 in the evening, if not more when everyone all decides to start cooking at the same time

@funtycucker I have a DD who goes through periods of different "safe foods".
What specifically does your DC accept, and there may be ideas on how to provide that or an acceptable alternative for them.

For example (and I know this may not be relevant), if hot plain pasta is needed, getting a few microwave sachets could be useful as you can "cook" those by just pouring in some boiling water to the pouch and letting them heat up for a few minutes, rather than needing to boil for 15 minutes in a pot.

If it's chicken nuggets, perhaps cooking extra the night before you expect a possible problem, to reheat on a dry pan at the relevant mealtime rather than in the oven.
Because even if you don't have an oven, you may have some form of single ring cooking available like a camping stove to heat water etc.
Or possibly making a form of oven using a pot on a ring and a tinfoil pouch within the pot that holds the food.

(That's as well as trying to increase the range of safe foods, because i have no doubt you work on that constantly....).

There are lots on MN who are good at camping and other preparedness things that also have family members with various issues that they get around so they may have ideas if you can post your specifics.

Thank you for the tip re pasta. I think we will have to invest in a camping stove as unfortunately we don't have gas in our home so have no rings on the hob to use

Sorry, I didn't word that very well. I meant to ask what your dc particular safe foods are so that some of us may be able to come up with some ideas.

Perhaps batch cooking chicken nuggets for eg in advance, the reheating on a gas hob if you have.

I wont lie, some days are just ridiculously busy and I don't get to be as prepared as I hoped, then every now and then I say fuckit and swing past a McDonalds or similar. Obvs that isn't something I can do all that much though. The fast food outlets will all be prepared with generators as they get very busy so have to keep the lights on (and fryers going).

(My first attempt to reply bombed on me so I hope I said everything I meant to now in round 2.....)

How did we cope during the war and the 1970's? Seriously people can't cope today with the difficulties we had in the past.

Another possible solution w "safe" foods is to give the main meal at breakfast and breakfast for dinner. Your child may be very excited by this, or very "computer sats no" depending on their temperament.

Yes, it’s across the UK and it’s called the Priority Services Register (Priority Services Membership if you’re in Northern Powergrid territory). Mumsnetters can Google that and it should get them to the page to learn who their network operator is to register with them, and register with their supplier. There’s a register for water too, unfortunately not yet joined up.

You can register for vulnerabilities like:

Medically dependent on electricity
Children under five
Disabilities
Communications problems
Age
Neurodiversity
Just moved, divorced, bereaved or in an otherwise temporary state of chaos

And the assistance you get is dependent on what you register as and what you need. And whether your network operator is any good or not…

For my autistic son "safe" foods do not include very much that can be heated up easily.
He doesn't eat baked beans, tinned spaghetti, soup, etc. Too messy and doesn't like the texture.
Only form of potato he eats is chips.
He doesn't eat any kind of vegetable so salads are out.
And he has quite a wide range of foods compared to some children with autism

Absolutely @FreddyHG
My parents were pre-school children during the war and I was very young during the 1970s powercuts and we all survived just fine.