3 Hour Blackouts

[pyjamafashionista]

If they happen, they are saying they'll be planned between 4-7pm. Surely this is the most ridiculous time, when most people will still be at work/ travelling home/making tea etc.
Any genius thoughts to get through a 3 hour blackout besides blankets and 🕯
I feel really sad for vulnerable people on their own if it happens 😪

It's explained rather better in the full document that was linked to. It's levels of restriction. At the least restrictive, it'll be blackouts as in column 1 only. If that's not enough, then column 1 and 2. And so on up to all the columns, and virtually no power at all.

For wfh It’s not ideal (none of this is!) but a laptop will run on its battery for a few hours and hotspot to your mobile phone or get a wifi dongle for 4G (assuming your signal mast stays online!)

Thanks!

I am nowhere near 60 and also remember the black outs. As StrataZon said, we also had a calor gas heater and a couple of lamps.

We had a 50 hour power cut last November. The only freezer items we chucked out were the ice cream and some prawns. All the rest - mince, chicken, even bread was fine.

I nanny a child with SEN and and an incredibly restricted diet. The few foods they eat come crispy from the toaster or oven. Pre prepping meals will not be an option, it will be wilted by dinner time

@NippyWoowoo if it helps, we use a gas hob to toast bread, if you have one. I put it face down in a dry pan. Would need a match to light. Open fires and toasting forks also an option but quite medieval - if you camp, you can use camping toasters with any camp stove.

like this www.amazon.co.uk/SunnCamp-Folding-Rectangular-Camping-Toaster/dp/B002UOEXRU/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=camping+toaster&qid=1667518863&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI1LjQzIiwicXNhIjoiNC42MSIsInFzcCI6IjQuMDcifQ%3D%3D&sr=8-7

If it happens there will be no choice. It will be done to us regardless. On that basis I'm prepping for it. I have now got three battery powered head lights, 8 usb powered headlights, 10 tiny usb bulbs that you plug directly into a pone or power bank, three usb powered torches and six battery powered camping lights.spent under £100 over 12 months building that stash up.

I have an old thermos and a slow cooker and matches for the stove. So I'm not panic stricken anymore. I don't want it but I won't be in the dark. I can pre fill the flask, cook in the slow cooker and heat up again on gas stove. I have power banks and ipads so i can download things for the kids.

When i get more spare cash I will buy usb sensor lights for the stairs, hall and loos.

If you leave it until its formalised it might be more expensive to get. Nothing I have bought is useless and will be useful regardless. It makes me feel less stressed.

It looks like schools will be affected, too, not just domestic dwellings. I can only hope these blackouts don't go ahead as trying to keep a class of kids warm and engaged in something without any heat, light or electricity for 3 hours will be interesting.

I suppose we'll be okay at home as we have camping stuff we can use for warm food and drinks. I'd be sending DS into nursery with lots of layers and we could drive to my parents to sit round their open fires.

You'd think the end of the world was coming to read some posts here.

If we know when power will be off, we just have to plan ahead.
Eg, heat the house in the hour before the power cuts.
Boil water in the kettle and store it in flasks to make up baby food and hot drinks.
Plan meals to avoid opening the fridge or freezer during power cuts.
Charge up phones and laptops.
Have a cold meal on power cut nights, a simple sandwich or salad.

Have a stock of candles or battery lights.

If you have a gas job, you can still cook. It's only the electric that might be off.

Hob not job! 😂

We've lost power after a hurricane for about 15 days. The fridge/freezer lasts for ages as long as you don't keep opening it. So, put milk, etc in a cool box as that's easily replenished.

More to the point, why the fuck are you not all rioting about living in one of the most wealthiest countries in the world and you're potentially going on a 3 hr blackout?!!

Doubt schools would open if they didn’t have electricity. They’d be sent for h&s reasons I suppose

Survivor here of the power cuts during the Seventies, the three day weeks.
If they do happen it’ll be at peak times, probably between five and seven pm.
Get solar camping lights, or battery operated candles, for light. Put a camping lantern on the stairs. They give out more light than solar garden lights.
Use torches to move from room to room.
Stock up on blankets, hot water bottles, warm clothing, layers.
A tea light under an upturned terracotta plant pot can give some heat out for a couple of hours but make sure the pot is the type that has a hole in the bottom so when it’s upturned the hole is at the top iyswim. Obviously keep out of way of pets and children. Make sure the tea light is on a non flammable surface.

Food, you can survive on cold food, sandwiches. Pies, etc.
If you have a gas hob the ignition won’t work so get a gas lighter to light the flame. At least You’ll be able to boil a kettle or cook tinned food or reheat a casserole etc.
Buy long life milk or powdered as a back up.
Otherwise fill flasks with boiling water when the power is on.
Baby formula, Cartons of ready made. Expensive yes but needs must.
Older children. Do a picnic tea on a blanket on the floor. Tell them it’s indoor camping and play a game, using a torch or lantern and your hands, make shadow puppets on the walls.

Freezer food should be ok for a couple of hours or so as long as the door is kept shut. Same with the fridge.

But most of all don’t panic.

This is useful. Also, looking at the grid, I live in a different zone so I suppose I could always take him to mine for dinner

I have to recommend this lamp, it’s rechargeable and can also recharge phones! It’s so bright it may be seen from space !!

T-SUN 80W Rechargeable Portable Work Light, Outdoor Camping Lights with Solar Panel, 3 Lighting Modes & SOS Flash, Emergency Security Lights for Car Repairing, Fishing, Power Cuts and More. [Energy Class A+]

I spent 12 years on an island off west coast of Scotland, many power cuts in winter! Don’t be worrying about the freezer, especially in winter months.
maybe get some polar fleece blankets (very cheap in home bargains/B&M etc.
when we had power cuts we would play board games. Just make sure you have some flasks that you can fill .

and also may sound daft! If you have a bbq, you can always have a hot meal. Water can be boiled in a saucepan and used to make pot noodles etc
xx

Sadly not. In some cases possibly but I am a manager and am needed at core US hours.

Quite ....

Are some areas exempt for some reason? I can't find the letter I was given for my postcode on anything?

I'm not sure how that would look logistically. We are located near a large hospital where plenty of parents work and had a big number of pupils in during lockdown. Having them home for two half-days (best case scenario for the letter the school comes under) would be chaotic for the parents.

Not saying school would stay open, but I think as long as the toilets were still working the government wouldn't see any problem with keeping the kids in school.

It's on the link near the beginning of the thread. Scroll down a little on the link page and there are two yellow boxes for the two parts of your postcode.

HappyDays40 ·
Are they providing generators to vulnerable people. My MIL won't be able to see without a proper light. She has osteoporosis and is unsteady on her feet surely they can't expect her to walk around by the light of a torch? It'll kill her if she falls

I'm the same as your MiL and use a walking frame. I honestly don't see generators being realistic for so many people. Earlier I ordered from Amazon:

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09BJP7SCM/ref=ewc_pr_img_2?smid=A3JRUCUZXJ1F2&psc=1

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07QWQ22J8/ref=ewc_pr_img_6?smid=A2KMTSZ0IRS6HD&psc=1

Both can charge things like mobiles etc if needed and have long use time. I've also ordered a

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09HV97CH1/ref=ewc_pr_img_3?smid=ASTPXSXNYSY17&psc=1

and gas and am going to add a few tins of soup with my weekly shop.

Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear, I found the letter through that link where you put your postcode, but that letter doesn't appear in any of the tables for the black outs?

Most people will cope (though the economy might not). Going without hot water, heating, hot food /hot drinks, lighting etc would quickly loose its charm but won’t be insurmountable FOR MOST.
Those with health needs etc will really struggle.

It won’t happen….how could it?

Imagine - supermarkets losing their entire fridge and freezer stock every night.

Hospitals the same - won’t be able to use defrosted/warm food to feed people in hospital. Guess they would have generators but not sure that’s a given for the food side of things.

Hotels - same. Imagine having booked your stay and then the hotel having no safe food.

I’m certain black outs won’t happen.