AIBU to think that you can feel a power cut?

[Greenbeanmcgee]

Settle a debate. AIBU to think that you can feel a power cut? That the air feels different.

We just had one but only upstairs. We were sitting downstairs and I could feel it.

This is common isn't it?

TIA

Nope. 😂

There's a weird ringing or buzzing type of feel, or it is a sound? I think I agree but it's been so long since I experience one (had loads as a child) that I've forgotten

Yes! There's a faint buzzing and the air feels different.

No. Hence why people aren’t always sure there is one until they try something electric and it doesn’t work.

i think you can actually. The house feels suddenly silent, no fridge noise or things on standby. Never really thought about it but I agree you generally know when the power is off.

Yes absolutely.
It's like if you get in your car and you can sense if the battery is dead before you try the ignition.
It might just be us though...

Yes the silence is a give away too.

Glad to hear that I'm not crazy.

Yes! I lived in a country with frequent power cuts and I would always know before I knew the power had gone off. It's probably just subconsciously noticing the absence the low level hum of the fridge and stuff but I do wonder.

It's kind of like some people can smell that it's going to rain

It’s probably because little electrical items make barely audible buzzy noises that you learned to block out, but when they stop, you notice and it seems weird.

Yes you can I'm with you OP

I think electrical appliances give of sound that you usually just don’t notice, for example, the fridge. I can tell whether the TV is on from another room even if it’s on mute.

🙋🏽‍♀️

I agree. I can also tell when a phone has gone dead and there's no way it will turn on again (without repair).

Yes. The underlying hum isn't there.

It isn't a feeling, it's the lack of noises because every electrical appliance has gone quiet.

Thanks all.

It's definitely a feeling for me. I felt it immediately.

It's the lack of sound which you subconsciously notice. It gives you a feeling.

If you still had power downstairs it wasn't a power cut , it was your breaker tripping

I would say that Electrical things often have a buzz or low level hum. Most people filter it out, I'm not good at that and notice. I notice the little lights, I notice the hum of the fridge. I notice the hum of the overhead wires on occasion. I suspect that 'feeling' the power cut is likely about recognising the absence of the hums & whistles your sub conscious was filtering out as not important enough to notice.

No that is not normal. You might be aware of a lack of noise but that is different to 'feeling it'.

Weirdly I can ‘hear’ snow!

you know lying in bed, curtains still closed, you literally haven’t even opened your eyes but you can just ‘hear’ if it has snowed during the night. I live rurally so it’s not the sound of no traffic or anything , I can just ‘hear’ the fallen snow ⛄️

You’re not alone OP I can feel it too I can feel it too but then I can also smell the rain coming 😆. It’s quite fortunate having that ‘sense’ I think because it means my washing never gets caught.

Weirdly I can ‘hear’ snow!

I can hear snow too!

Interesting to hear about other people's odd abilities.

Snow absorbs sound because it is porous.
The everyday sounds you hear without realising get absorbed by it, which is why you get that weird snow ‘silence’.
I can also tell if it has snowed when I’m lying in bed and haven’t looked out the window yet.