How to prepare for blackouts

[Erica56]

I’ve read on the news today that we should be preparing for blackouts between 4-7pm in January / February. How is everyone preparing?

Have a bonfire and a singsong!

But I don't see how they can exclude all workplaces. Industrial estates and large office blocks yes.

I've had 3 powercuts on the last few years. Yes, the burglar alarms do go off. I phoned a friend and had a chat to pass the time. Read a book whilst there was still light. Played downloaded playlist from Spotify on my kindle. Get some led candles and torches ready, thermal vests and warm socks too.

IF it happens we will manage with what we already have in the house. Our main task will be filling flasks- assuming we have notice of cuts - and making sure that we always keep ds's medical equipment charged up, as well as a phoneand power bank in case of emergency.

A smokefree zone here as mist cities and large towns are.

This isn’t “ project fear” or scaremongering. Unfortunately this is a possibility & it’s better to have a few things at home as back up.

its safe to be a home without WiFi
thinking about where warm blankets are kept, camping stoves- for making hot drinks. A few game’s to hand to pass the time.

nothing wrong with being organised as there have been rumours about this for a while.

hopefully it won’t come to anything and we will have a mild winter without incident

Freestanding smokeless fires . @antelopevalley these can be used instead, indoors or outdoors

I’m usually in work until 6pm. It’s close to 7pm before I get home so I doubt I need to “do” anything. If a blackout happens on my day off I’ll happily get into bed and keep warm under my duvet. It’s no big deal really

We have camping equipment, so will cook/ heat water on the camping stove, watch downloaded TV programmes on laptops until the batteries run out and stay warm around the woodburner. We have rechargeable batteries in a couple of radios so can have music. We have loads of LED lights around the house in the winter and we have a number of rechargeable head torches so we should be right. It'll be good for us to have a few hours off social media.

Sounds great.

Assuming that you have no small children. Or anybody in your house with medical needs that require power. Or sensory issues thay require a certain temperature to sleep. Etc.

Myopic.

The brief wasn't to find solutions for niche problems.

I might have offered a couple of ideas but because you're so snippy you can work it out yourself.

Our local church has a load of battery candles they have bought and have said in the event this happens, people can go to the church and hang out for a social. They have a massive gas bbq and said they will do a community bbq by torchlight.
it might be a crazy idea, time will tell.
either way, it will be bloody spooky walking through the graveyard by torchlight.

I have two small children (three year old and 1 year old). We have candle lit dinners every day, and a wood burning stove. At bed time we read in low light.

in the event of a blackout, we’d cook supper early and keep it warm on top of the stove, and ray by candlelight. We’d be able to do the bedtime stories with torches too.

I think we’d be okay.

Its my elderly neighbour that I would worry about.

Your elderly neighbour probably remembers a time before electric lights everywhere and tv.

I don’t. The question was how would I prepare for blackouts. Everyone in my family work. My children are all grown
up. My parents are dead. I don’t need to consider children or elderly people 🤷🏻‍♀️

What’s your problem?’

DP and DCs have talked about this. DCs are teenagers so would be bereft by no internet. They don't care about heat and light. I agreed if we have a warning I will buy more data for their phones. They were happy then. They will happily eat cereal for tea anyway.

DP and I would light a few candles and share a bottle of wine and some bread and cheese before heading upstairs for an early night.

They could switch off residential homes with smart meters.

You don't need a smart meter to have supply switched off. But if they did this I would be fine as we do not have a smart meter.

I have no doubt that you’re absolutely correct; still, I don’t think it’s unfair to acknowledge that there is a certain level of vulnerability that comes with age - cold, and lack of lighting would not be helpful in that scenario.

I know our neighbour will be welcome in our home, and a few other homes within the close, and we’d all help our neighbour with things like solar lanterns if needed.

Batteries in for non-flame light, we aleady have books and blankets/duvet/each other's body heat. Not sure we need anything else. Possibly be a bit more diligent keeping mobile charged.........

I mean the warning given said it was "unlikely". Vulnerable households would be given help. Only under extreme circumstances and there are plans being made to avoid it entirely.

If everyone who can could use their power during the day to reduce the load on the grid that would help more by the sounds of things.

Perhaps think more a bit as a society instead of the gutter press encouraging "project panic" selfish full on prepping mode.

I mean it sounds like it MIGHT be for up to 3 whole hours, once or twice in Jan/Feb. Surely most of us could cope with that? Surely?

Probably also had a home more suited to no electricity - open fires and lanterns that aren't as prevalent now. I worry about my elderly family members, despite their experience.

No but it makes it easier to target just residential switch offs to keep businesses on.

The issue with switch-offs for elderly people is the increased risk of falls.

I agree it would be fairly easy for most households to cope with a few hours without electricity. I am more worried about more prolonged blackouts over the winter. I just don't have 100% faith in the government or the systems in these very difficult times.

I'm getting a thermal cooker, you can start something like a casserole or chilli on the hob then put it in the thermal outer & in 8 hours it is cooked. I've also got power banks for us all, candles & I'm going to order a camping lantern. We have gas hobs so can still boil water for drinks etc.