Winter blackout contingency planning

CurlySue2017

victor2 said:

CurlySue2017 said:

Saga said:

What happens to people with medical equipment at home. And also pensioners in their own or rented flats/homes in retirement villages ie not nursing/care homes?

This is my worry.  My Dad uses an oxygen machine that plugs into the mains and I'm really worried what will happen if the power is off for even just a couple of hours.  He can't breathe without it.

Also the comparisons with the 70's that people keep making are just nonsense.  It's a nice idea doing what they did back then but the world is a different place now and it just isn't possible. 

The electricity goes off then so does the router, which means nothing is online, which means pretty much everything stops.

Sitting around candles banging away on your manual typwriter is just not a thing anymore (much as I sometimes wish it was!)

Surely any medically critical machines have a battery backup to keep them running for a short while during a power outage? What happens if something trips the breaker(s) in his house? If his device just stops then look into getting a suitable backup supply for it - whoever supplied it should be able to advise.

IF there are any scheduled power outages in the near future, they will be pre-announced, so could you move your dad to somewhere on a different schedule as needed?

In the 70's, we played cards or board games by candlelight, never had a typewriter.

Today, it's a bit inconvenient if the router goes off, but little else. Can't use Netflix on the TV, but that has no power anyway!

To be honest I don't know but I will start looking into it and find out, it may well have a battery back up.  I understand it's unlikely but because it's all over the news at the moment it has made me think about it.

Personally I completely agree about the router.....I can manage quite easily without it, the typewriter was just an example of how they carried on regardless back then that just woudn't be possible now

Sea_Shell said:

CurlySue2017 said:

elsien said:

CurlySue2017 said:

Saga said:

What happens to people with medical equipment at home. And also pensioners in their own or rented flats/homes in retirement villages ie not nursing/care homes?

This is my worry.  My Dad uses an oxygen machine that plugs into the mains and I'm really worried what will happen if the power is off for even just a couple of hours.  He can't breathe without it.

Also the comparisons with the 70's that people keep making are just nonsense.  It's a nice idea doing what they did back then but the world is a different place now and it just isn't possible. 

The electricity goes off then so does the router, which means nothing is online, which means pretty much everything stops.

Sitting around candles banging away on your manual typwriter is just not a thing anymore (much as I sometimes wish it was!)

Is he registed as a vulnerable/priority customer with the utility provider? What would they do if there was an unplanned power cut in normal circumstances - perhaps now would be a good time to check that if he hasn't done so already? 

Yes he is registered as vulnerable and they are on the PSR with me as a named contact.  He also has Mum there but she is also elderly so whilst she can help, it is limited. 

I don't know what would happen in an unplanned power cut if I'm honest, I hadn't given it a thought until now, I suppose it being highlighted in the news has brought it to my attention.

Maybe now's the time to have a loss of power "drill".    Check what's where and prepare.   Just in case.

Very good idea and I will be doing this

YorksLass

Spare a thought for those who live in high rise blocks of flats.  Power cut = no lifts.  I experienced this in the 70s and lived on the 15th floor of an all electric flat.  Avoided the lift at all costs and even in my mid-twenties it was no fun climbing up 15 flights of stairs.

Eldi_Dos

YorksLass said:

Spare a thought for those who live in high rise blocks of flats.  Power cut = no lifts.  I experienced this in the 70s and lived on the 15th floor of an all electric flat.  Avoided the lift at all costs and even in my mid-twenties it was no fun climbing up 15 flights of stairs.

Can see why that would be a big concern.

Can I ask did the landings and stairwells have emergency backup lighting when the power cuts occurred, my memory is that they only began to appear later.

MWT

...meanwhile anyone that has prepared for this with battery storage/generator etc. will be keeping the lights low and volume down on the TV to avoid attracting the attention of the ravaging bands of millennials looking for a 240V fix...

Seriously though, for the majority of people, if this happens it will not rate more than a little annoyance for a short space of time, but it is a reminder for anyone who depends on constant electricity for life-support and access to essential parts of their property to check there back-up plans as even though many of these devices do have some local power storage, those batteries may have spent their entire life fully charged and never cycled. So that comforting reassurance of a few hours battery power may only be a few mins if it hasn't been tested lately...

Miser1964

Chances are it'll be fiasco at the first winter cold snap. The Govt. had done simulations and had loads of plans for a pandemic but that lasted 30 minutes before the MSM, "Professor Lockdown" and SAGE were screeching for lockdowns and we were clapping like seals for the NHS.

EssexHebridean

CurlySue2017 said:

Saga said:

What happens to people with medical equipment at home. And also pensioners in their own or rented flats/homes in retirement villages ie not nursing/care homes?

This is my worry.  My Dad uses an oxygen machine that plugs into the mains and I'm really worried what will happen if the power is off for even just a couple of hours.  He can't breathe without it.

Also the comparisons with the 70's that people keep making are just nonsense.  It's a nice idea doing what they did back then but the world is a different place now and it just isn't possible. 

The electricity goes off then so does the router, which means nothing is online, which means pretty much everything stops.

Sitting around candles banging away on your manual typwriter is just not a thing anymore (much as I sometimes wish it was!)

Does he have a POC as well? He should be able to get backup batteries for that - so could switch across to using that if the electric went down? If nothing else having that plan in mind might help with reassurance- although I suspect there would be arrangements made. 

[Deleted User]

What do all these people who are terrified about a power cut that they can plan for and will have exact times for do when there is a ‘normal’ power cut?

BikingBud

Planeteer said:

With the UK's energy dependencies and the reluctance of a PM - increasingly seeming on daily wages - to inform the people of sensible planning or preparations for winter blackouts, are there any other sources of steps to take for household energy management in the winter? How does one minimise impact? Wouldn't be bad for MSE/ML to take a stance for consumers again, just as he did for pricing?

Get banagrams and a bottle of red?

orbit500

I have full house backup with 30kWh batteries so could keep going for 2-3 days. I may setup a socket or five on the drive with a coin meter and charge millennials £5 a re-charge.

matelodave

CurlySue2017 said:

Saga said:

What happens to people with medical equipment at home. And also pensioners in their own or rented flats/homes in retirement villages ie not nursing/care homes?

This is my worry.  My Dad uses an oxygen machine that plugs into the mains and I'm really worried what will happen if the power is off for even just a couple of hours.  He can't breathe without it.

Also the comparisons with the 70's that people keep making are just nonsense.  It's a nice idea doing what they did back then but the world is a different place now and it just isn't possible. 

The electricity goes off then so does the router, which means nothing is online, which means pretty much everything stops.

Sitting around candles banging away on your manual typwriter is just not a thing anymore (much as I sometimes wish it was!)

My bro has an oxygen concentrator as well, as a CPAP machine to keep him breathing overnight. He also has a couple of oxygen cylinders which he can use when he goes out or for back-up if the concentrator fails or there's a power cut.

He's also got a portable concentrator which will run for around four hours on a charge (he's also got a spare battery, so he can keep going for eight hours), not only that it will run off the car battery. He's not helpless or hopeless nor does he expect everyone else to run around after him although he does appreciate a bit of help now and again.

The world wont stop or even slow down if we do end up with power cuts as they'll generally be scheduled so people can get themselves organised, assuming that they will be bothered, rather than expecting someone else to do it all for them.