Service and fuel concerns, gas, electricity and water.

[EzzieLove]

As if we do not have enough to worry about! Seeing some news articles about soaring fuel costs, causing some smaller gas suppliers to potentially go under. We had a fire locally which caused problems with water supply and threats to supplies on the Chanel islands because of demonstrations against Brexit fishing rights. Seems this could be the next problem looming on the horizon. I have a good supply of torches, lanterns, alternative cooking facilities etc, but still watching the tweets just in case. Anyone else heard this? Concerned?

I have ordered more bottles for my camp stove.

I plan to order some bee wax candles (scented candles make me feel unwell), I do have some LED candles.

I could do with some fingerless gloves.

I am concerned about two situations in China, the financial situation if their big business as predicted by some goes bust and a lack of Trade or worse due to Taiwan.

I don't have Twitter, what's being said?

I am concerned. Was talking to DP the other night about my childhood in the 80s, and I remembered regular power cuts that would go on all evening. We do have some candles but I think power banks, torches need to be added to the list. We are entirely reliant on electricity so really need to think about how that would work if the lights go out and we can't prepare food.

I was about to switch from British Gas to a smaller supplier but I think I will hold off on that now as I am pretty sure if push came to shove the government would have to intervene to save BG if they were on a shaky peg.

Almost free cycled our old camping stove yesterday but am holding on to it now.

@UnsolicitedDickPic me and DH were talking about this last night too. DH grew up in poverty too and a lot of this talk of shortages is making him quite anxious.

I managed to get a decent middle sixed soya (I hope it's unscented) church candle and stand for £5.99 at The range along with a lighter.

I struggled to get any water only sparkling was on the shelves. I will have to go out again for some.

Think it might be time to get a water butt, any recommendations? Think I might get some stuff for the BBQ as that would be our way of cooking of needed. We have a tiny camp stove but no gas so might think about getting some. Any recommendations for solar charges? Looking at them and I just can't see which would be any good. Thanks

Well equipped here as I have lived decades in remote areas and my first winter out here on a small offshore Irish island I had no electricity,

and after one house where there was only electicrty; never again. Diversify

I cook with
bottled gas ( big cylinders) and always a

spare ready, Standard 4 ring hpb and oven.

Solid fuel stove with backboiler. And I burn local turf,

Always lots of candles in stock; NB only one power cut in 6 years.

Small battery radio and spare batteries
\Abundant food stocks especially dried and tinned rather than eg frozen

Plenty of eg socks.

I am concerned about this too, we had water problems here in Cornwall recently after a contractor completely ballsed up and hit two main water mains, a huge area of the county didn't have water or had brown undrinkable water for days and days. It made me think.

I am worried about power cuts too and have a power bank, some candle and torches but probably am not really prepared enough. Does anyone know if you have a main gas cooker like I do, will it still work if there is a power cut? I know my gas boiler won't, so we'd be cold - but if we could at least cook hot food that'd be something.

@CatrinVennastin I was poor growing up and until Brexit I didn't actually realise how much of the stress of it I had internalised. But it made sense when I deconstructed it; and I still have a fear of running out of food. We had cupboards full of candles and my Nan kept EVERYTHING "just in case".

It's definitely caused by hardship earlier in life.

Anorexic parent who spoiled food to make it inedable to keep the children thin like them and the other was a fat gambler who stuck a fork in your food and stole it if they saw you could find anything ok to eat.

Gas hobs and ovens will still work but may need lighting with a match as the ignition button is usually electric. That’s why gas boilers don’t work. So make sure you have a couple of boxes of long matches. For small scale solar panels, I find my Anker one is very good. We use it to power mobile phones whilst camping. We have an emergency light that comes on when the power cuts out. It is located near our lights out box containing lanterns, torches, batteries, lighters, matches etc. I tend to avoid too many candles as they are a potential fire risk. Going to get a few hot water bottles in. We have power banks.

How would they action the power cuts? Turn off electricity remotely via smart meters? Can gas be turned off remotely anyway?

What of those without smart meters?

Ok, so I didn't realise the boiler won't work!.
I'm OK with hot water bottles but how do we heat them up with no kettle or gas?

Camping stove, wood fire with pan of water, outdoor BBQ with pan of water?

@Autumngoldleaf

Ok, so I didn't realise the boiler won't work!. I'm OK with hot water bottles but how do we heat them up with no kettle or gas?

I imagine yo u would have some means of cooking etc? If not go to a camping shop and get equipped.

Easy here as bottled gas cooker and a solid fuel stove that heats the tank and I can cook on it.

My electricity bill is tiny all the time.

I’m prepping for the prices going up and the power going out.

I have just ordered hot water bottles and some wool blankets. We have plenty of candles but I need a power bank.

I’ve started adding more to my stockpile. With the price hikes I would be doing this anyway.

We have a solar power bank which is fab. Thinking about it it would make sense to use more often rather than the mains

I'm wondering what all this means for people's work situation? I WFH using a PC, so I would hope to still get paid!

I usually lurk on these boards at times of crisis. I'm so fed up of lurching from one crisis to another and buying stuff in order to prep (like tins of food) that I don't really end up using. I'm torn, as I'm anxious but I keep feeling so manipulated into buying stuff I don't need by the constant chaos. I just want to keep my family fed and warm.

Given that food prices are likely to go up, I still think it is wise to get some extra food in. I will have to order a secret delivery when OH is at work. He is the same as me (worse sometimes) but even he is fed up of it now.

@Thecurliestwurly oh God yes that's a potentially huge problem with laptops! I have a solar charger but it would only do a phone and only then if it's sunny!

Also for the internet router you'd need electricity

Do not buy more than you can use, afford or store

Prep according to your budget as you might need to spend the money on something else.

Insulate your house/flat.

Thick curtains
Draught excluders

You should not use a camping stove indoors so plan where to use outside.

Perhaps a Kelly kettle or generic similar kettle. (Fire lighters of vaseline and cotton wool.) (Expensive)

Food you just add hot water to.
(Cous cous, mugshots, cup soup, custard,instant hot chocolate)

Food you can heat easily on a stove or in a microwave (limited electricity)

Barbeque and fuel ( disposable BBQ are quite cheap as a one off emergency)

Food you can eat cold straight from a tin/packet and tastes nice. (Crackers, dried fruit, tinned fruit, evaporated milk, whatever)

Water, drinks, (we have fruit juice and pop) means to filter and purify water. Something to collect it in.

Toilet. Bucket, cat litter carrier bags, porta potty and bags. (Can hold up to 11 stones otherwise aim straight!)

Think of ways to reduce your energy use. (Get up with the light, go to bed with the dark, batch cook and reheat in microwave, insulate, solar power phone charger)

Plan to sleep together all I one room if a power cut and it is very cold. If you have a tent you can use that as well.

Food flasks to keep you meal warm until needed. Also to store hot water from the kettle if the leccy goes off.

Keep some cash for emergencies.

Grow your own veg in summer, microgreens/ salad in winter.

Wind up torches and radio.

Entertainment that doesn't rely on electricity or lots of light.

@BlackeyedSusan thank you, is that a list you compiled yourself? I've copied it to send to my young adult kids.

@Salome61

only as I have hung round on this board for a while and nicked them learned from other posters.

I have yet to tick off the list. We are working on the growing own veggies: in a flat and in pots ex's slabbed yard.

runner beans grow in pots quite well outside

we also got one courgette plant to grow and produce one courgette.

chives are growing in a pot. the parsley and mint bought on monday have not died yet.

I can grow spring onions from the bottom of supermarket spring onions on my sunny windowsil and we were successful at growing tomatoes indoors.

It is worth browsing the board and finding threads on themes that interest you and see what would fit in with your lifestyle/home/budget.

Your veg sound interesting! I'm lucky I have two apple trees, I'm going to pick and wrap them in paper and see how long before they wrinkle.

I've just bought my kids candles, torches, and a battery radio. My daughter is over in Belfast so I'll have to check what I can send in the post.

Both of them now live and have become used to town life, they won't remember the winter prep I always did here in rural Northumberland in case the roads were impassable. I tried to get a solar phone charger for my daughter when she went to Cambodia last year, going to hunt for them again tonight.

Thank you again :)

I am just back from putting £10 worth of petrol in the car as I do actually require some petrol, I don't drive much so that should get me through. Every pump in the filling station was in use and I was the only one with a small amount of petrol, it looks like others were filling up the whole tank.

Got to get petrol today. I shall do that after lunch. Thanks for the reminder.