Power and Internet out

[Bronzeisthecolour]

Power and Internet out South East, hopefully just local but really has made me think what I need. Not a pepper but will get a little mire prepared I think.

Hope you are ok. Having a back up plan - even a small cobbled-together one is better than nothing. And having something a little more well-thought-out saves the panic. I have a lights out box.

@bellinisurge thanks will do. Power didn't cone back until 8am

I bought a very small camping stove, so we can heat up soup and make hot drinks if we are in a freezing house.

There are a lot of threads on this if you want to look them up.

But otherwise think:
Light
Warmth
Cooking
Power
Phone.

Light:
What do you have already?torches, lanterns, those outdoor solar lights, battery operated fairy lights batteries. Those battery operated spot lights. (next to the fuse box)

Recommend a head torch.
Also a solar lantern as they recharge during the day. (I have one each person but only just got the last one on the slow boat from China).

Warmth:
Hats, scarves, wrist warmers, woolly socks, (layers increasing in size, fresh ones for bed) thermal base layer (Marino if you can afford it) (cheap ones are very thin and I am seeing holes in one set) woolly jumpers.

Plenty of blankets/duvets for the bed /sofa.

Warm slippers.

Rechargeable hand warmers,

Flasks for hot water you've heated up or acquired from outside the blackout zone from a mate etc.

Cuddle up together, if it's really beast from the east cold, in the smallest warmest room, or camp indoors under the dining room table / bunk bed covered with duvet covers.

Long term: insulate your loft, draught proof, get thick lined curtains. Etc. .
.

Cooking:
Out doors only
BBQ (have the stuff you normally use)
Camping stove and gas if you have somewhere away from the house,to store it. (Shed at the bottom of the garden, say)

Camping pans for heating up water/food.

Just add water food:
Mug shots, cup soup, cous cous, instant custard, powdered potatoes? noodles

Just heat through foods:
Tinned curry and tinned veg.
Rice pudding and raisins/jam
Tinned beans.

Not heat food:crackers, breads, biscuits, jarred olives, etc etc etc.

(Stuff you can eat without opening the fridge or freezer)

Add treat foods.

Power: power banks often come ready charged in an emergency.

Having a couple charged ready so you can charge your phone is useful. Definitely more than one. Sod's law is that the power goes off when you have just used the power bank and not quite got round to charging it. (Must go and plug mine back in....)

Water/fruit juice/pop if the pumps go out to pump water. (Top flat on the top of a hill)

I am still a bit freaked out by the big power cut they had in a big chunk of the south/east of England a couple of summers back when a couple of things went wrong to cause a big problem.

So longer term wide spread issues:
Keep a reasonably full tank of petrol.

Keep drinks/water for a day or three to allow time for restocking after people need to buy all at the same time.
Somewhere to go to the loo.
(Camping loo, carrier bags and bucket and cat litter, )

Something to wash with, (a bowl and soap can be reused several times, hand gel, baby wipes, dry shampoo)

My option is a flannels and soap for bits and pits, hands and face only. Though keeping on applying deodorant regularly works for arm pits if not too sweaty weather. (Camping with no access to showers and only freezing cold water washing in a communal tent or small builders' type toilet)

Also think how to keep cool in summer.

Thanks all, taking advice from you all.

Following with interest after another four hour power cut in the south east!! I need to be more prepared especially with children at home.

Oh no. Was it a big one covering a wide area?