Preparedness for when

Karmacat

fuddle wrote: »

Having cash is no guarantee as we found out late last year in a power cut in Lidl. The tills were down so no buying at all, for anyone. The store was closed until electricity was back on.

Now *that*, I didn't know! Thanks fuddle.

jk0

I read a story years ago that Asda customers were charged an estimated price according to the size of shopping in their trolleys in a power cut. Brilliant if you'd filled it with fillet steak. Not so good if it was loaves of bread.

I just read a comment on Sky News regarding power cuts:

http://news.sky.com/story/1361922/energy-crunch-dont-expect-return-to-1970s

With smart meters they can be smart who or how they then off. They can allocate each household 3 k w per day and then off each hour one it's been reached etc


Smart meters weren't for your benefit! It was for this situation they have known for ages of the peak energy problem.

That's worrying, isn't it? Another good reason not to let them fit the things.

[Deleted User]

twiglet98 wrote: »

he said (affectionately), "You're like your mum, prepping for an apocalypse that'll never happen in this day and age"!

To quote TBBT:-

Leonard: I don’t think that’s going to happen, Sheldon.

Sheldon: No one ever does. That’s why it happens.

[Deleted User]

fuddle wrote: »

I think because stores rely heavily on electricity, many will struggle to take any transaction during a cut.

Hence why you should keep in enough stock (food, water, batteries, candles, cooking facilities, etc.) to cope.

greenbee

kacie wrote: »

I imagine the smaller independent stores would be more willing to take cash and give a written receipt for goods, but that would depend on if they have any emergency lighting.

There was a power cut in a town near me in August which took out most of the high street for most of the day. A surprising number of shops managed to keep open, but it did tend to be the small independents who held their own inventory and could update their own records (and who could clearly do the maths needed to work out change!). Many of the chains had to throw out stock due to the failure of fridges and freezers, yet were unable to sell it as everything was linked to centralised inventory management systems. Perhaps retailers need to think a little bit more creatively - there's nothing wrong with doing things manually, a little slower, and updating centralised systems later. Even ordering can be done over the phone if systems are still down...

[Deleted User]

Nowadays, many people can't add up on paper, let alone in their heads.

As for working out the change, what's wrong with the "count on" system :huh:

RAS

fuddle wrote: »

I think because stores rely heavily on electricity, many will struggle to take any transaction during a cut. Having cash is no guarantee as we found out late last year in a power cut in Lidl. The tills were down so no buying at all, for anyone. The store was closed until electricity was back on.

Hopefully stores will be thinking about losing money this winter and work out some sort of contingency plan to enable trading. Something tells me though "I doubt it". :cool:

I was Christmas shopping (last year I think) when the town concerned had a power cuts. Bizarrely areas were affected then came back up and others that has been lit went down. So shoppers were trekking between areas as an when they were lit.

There were only two shops that were open in areas where the power was out; all the rest had to shut for the duration. The very high class silver smiths put candles in all the candelabras etc and let the light bounce off the shiny surfaces all over the shop; like aladdin's cave, and Primark discovered they had their own generator in the basement.

[Deleted User]

RAS wrote: »

and Primark discovered they had their own generator in the basement.

They didn't know :huh:

Butterfly_Brain

jk0 wrote: »

I read a story years ago that Asda customers were charged an estimated price according to the size of shopping in their trolleys in a power cut. Brilliant if you'd filled it with fillet steak. Not so good if it was loaves of bread.

I just read a comment on Sky News regarding power cuts:

http://news.sky.com/story/1361922/energy-crunch-dont-expect-return-to-1970s



That's worrying, isn't it? Another good reason not to let them fit the things.

That is one of the reasons I refused to have one fitted when I was with BG

Doveling

Fluffy Bunny brain here thought the monitors were a good idea when BG put us new gas and electric meters in.
Have I been conned? Again?:o

Mar-Think I have replied but not sure. Not great on computers.

In the power cuts of the 1970's, I sat in the office wearing a coat and gloves typing by candlelight on a big Imperial typewriter. It was my first job and I was singularly unimpressed and bl**dy frozen!