How to Prepare Your Home for Power Outages
What causes power outages?
Emergencies happen every day in the UK. You might lose your electricity supply because of power outages, severe weather, human error, energy shortage, or, in rare instances, cyberattacks.
If you want to check the status of electrical issues, call 105 for free if you are in Great Britain.
Here are some tips on how to prepare for a power outage.
Lighting
- Flashlights, lanterns, battery-operated fairy lights, and solar lanterns.
- Some people would use candles; however, I wouldn’t trust myself with them! If you do use candles, make sure to watch them closely and don’t leave them lit while you sleep.
- Lots of spare batteries, especially AA and AAA.
Food
- Keep your fridge and freezer closed to keep them as cold as you can for as long as you can. Keep a check on the temperature with a thermometer.
- When the power is back on, check your food and discard anything that smells or looks spoiled.
- Stock up on non-perishable foods like cereal, canned fruit, crisps/chips, cookies, cereal bars, dried fruits, and things to put on sandwiches. Anything that doesn’t need refrigeration or cooking.
- Make sure you have a manual can opener.
- If you have a gas cooker and an electric ignition, you will need something to light your cooker, like long matches or a lighter.
When I have experienced power cuts before, I’m not too bad at coping. I can keep myself warm and fed, but when it comes to entertainment, this is where I really had a hard time! No TV means no shows or films. No computer means no gaming or social media. So, I try to preserve what battery I have left. Dim the screen and turn off the apps! It’s rough!
Communication and Entertainment
- For music and news, use hand-cranked or battery-operated radios.
- Read books/magazines.
- Colouring books.
- Puzzle books.
- Rubik’s Cube.
- Play board games.
- Have some fun with cards.
- Buy a power bank to charge your mobile or your tablet. Depends on the length of the power cut, maybe think about 2 or 3?
Heating/cooling
- If it’s cold, dress warmly from top to toe! Wear a hoodie or use a hat to keep your head warm. Thermal clothing and lots of layers, and a couple of warm, thick blankets. Then top it off with good slippers and socks. For your hands, pocket warmers and gloves work great.
- If it’s hot, then dress in thin layers and stay hydrated. Place a damp cloth on your wrists or forehead, and keep a spray bottle of water to mist yourself.
General
- Check on any elderly/ vulnerable neighbours/friends who might need help staying safe.
- Keep some cash handy as the ATM could stop working.
- Turn your electricals off so when the power comes back on, it helps reduce the initial load on the electrical system, and prevents circuit breakers from tripping again due to overload. But try to keep one thing plugged in, like a lamp, so when the power comes on again, you will know.
If you live in the UK, here’s what you need to know about claiming compensation for power cuts.
Compensation for power cuts in normal weather.
In the event there’s a power cut during normal weather conditions, the network operator has 12 to 24 hours to restore your electricity.
If the power goes out and it affects less than 5,000 properties, plus you are without power for 12 hours or more, you can claim:
- £95 as a home user
- £180 as a business user
- You can get an extra £40 for each additional 12 hours without power, up to a maximum of £360
If the power goes out and affects more than 5,000 properties, plus you are without power for 24 hours or more, you can claim:
- £95 as a home user
- £180 as a business user
- You can get an extra £40 for each additional 12 hours without power, up to a maximum of £360
Compensation for power cuts in severe weather.
When you can claim depends on how Ofgem categorises storms in severe weather.
Further information is available on Ofgem’s website. The link is below.
Please let me know your tips for electricity preparedness in the comments section!
