Possible winter power outs

[jansman]

Yes. I have solar battery chargers, which in turn go into my LED back-up lights, torches etc. we also have solar rechargers for the i-pods, i-pad and phones.

[Quercus-robur]

Tea lights are cheap and half a dozen of them will provide enough light for a room. As well as a couple of bags of tea lights I also keep head torches and spare batteries about the house. I also find my dynamo LED lanterns useful too. For cooking I have my hexy stove and tablets.

While at university my next door neighbour had a kitchen fire which knocked our power off for a week. My housemate and I made good use of our stoves and tea lights during that week. It is not just light and food that you need to consider when the power is off. Being reliant on technology, boredom became an issue. After getting back from campus we spent our evenings playing chess or cards. It is important to have something in the house to provide entertainment that doesn't rely on electricity. For any families with kids, board games would be a useful thing to also have in the house.

There is also the issue of keeping clean. Neither of us wanted to face a cold shower in the morning. So we went down to the local swimming baths and explained the situation to them and asked them politely if we could use their showers. They were kind enough and allowed us to shower there until we had our power back. It doesn't hurt to ask if you also find yourself without hot water for a shower.

Qr