A Worst Nightmare Avoided
My house isn’t totally electric, but everything from the central heating to the cooker relies on electricity.
So my heart sank, when the power went off this afternoon at about two-thirty. I was left with no heating, internet, landline telephones and lights. My trusty mobile wasn’t working as it looked like the ariel on the cell might be down, as I wasn’t getting a signal. I diodn’t have a battery radio, but I did have a wind up torch. I suppose too, there was enough heat in the AGA to keep me in hot food.
I was just trying to work out what I would be doing for the rest of the day, when it came back on.
So the nightmare was avoided.
The funniest power cut we had was when the power went off at eleven at night and we had to go to bed by candlelight. In the morning we found a massive Scania truck in the front field. It turned out, that the mains had blown near the prison and as we were on the end of the line, Eastern Electricity had installed the generator on the transformer for our house.
To be fair, in the perhaps week it was there, the generator was no trouble and it eventually sneaked away in the manner it had arrived. It even had an en-suite flat for the operator. He didn’t even ask for as much as a kettle of water.
In my new house, I’ll be very much prepared, as I can’t be doing power cuts in my paranoid state!
The Anonymous Widower 
We are all incredibly dependant on electricity and it is particularly difficult if the outage is for a sustained period. We had a very unreliable electricity supply here in Clophill until the sub-station blew up rather spectacularly, and then we were out for many hours as they couldn’t get near the sub-station due to the heat generated by the resulting fire.
When I first realised that we were likely to suffer long outages, and that these might occur while one or other mother was staying, I obtained a 6 KVA petrol driven generator, and I used that several times to restore sufficient power to run the important items (central heating controls/pumps, lights, etc.). We too have an electric AGA and this holds a lot of heat, but unfortunately the heat is transferred on demand from the central heat store (which is charged up overnight) using a small fan which of course requires power. Oven heat would howver last long enoung for a single meal, although cooking time might be a little extended.
I have a collection of old portable radios, and so we don’t have a problem listening-in without mains power.
Since the sub-station has been replaced we haven’t had a single power cut, and so the generator gets little use now.
A lot of people now have DECT wireless telephones and these are useless without mains power. Everyone should have one analogue phone wired directly to the incoming phone line for emergency use in the event of a power cut.
Comment by John | November 12, 2010 |
I was worried in case we lost our power last night, the wind was very strong, although I think the airport was still operating, in gaps between gusts I thought I heard planes a couple of times; that said, we are under the landing path and I guess planes have to land even if they arent taking off.
We have a supply of stuff we will need if the power goes out – torch, radio, spare car battery to rig up a light. Not sure if the laptops would work on battery, although we have a wireless router, each room except bathroom and kitchen are cabled to the internet as well.
Comment by liz | November 12, 2010 |
I was worried in case we lost our power last night, the wind was very strong, although I think the airport was still operating, in gaps between gusts I thought I heard planes a couple of times; that said, we are under the landing path and I guess planes have to land even if they arent taking off.
We have a supply of stuff we will need if the power goes out – torch, radio, spare car battery to rig up a light. Not sure if the laptops would work on battery, although we have a wireless router, each room except bathroom and kitchen are cabled to the internet as well.
We do have a wired to the wall phone as well. In case we lose all the handset to the other – in fact we have two, because when we went to braodband internet we kept the landline we had previously used, we dont pay a standing charge, and the number is only known by very immediate family, they ring on the that line and we always answer it. We dont answer the main phone every time.
Comment by liz | November 12, 2010 |
Always, always be prepared. The power goes off here on a regular basis.
In the cupboards here…I have long life milk, candles, good battery storm lamp….just in case.
Have always lots of kitty food…and kitty litter…so that Smokie is ok too. All came in very useful when I was not well enough to be out..in the bad weather in December/January this year past.
When I was released from the hospital with leg in plaster..I was taken by someone who obviously knew…to the Asda, and was told to buy the essentials…loo rolls, g/f bread mixes, kitty foods etc..
This was fine for a few days…and shopping on line was the way forward. The highlight of the week….the Tesco man delivering the groceries…as there was no-one from work (and I dont have family close by) who bothered to as much as email me.
So be prepared…you never know when you may need it…
J (with Smokie the kitty supervising!)
Comment by Pascali | November 13, 2010 |
Thanks.
I have most things, including candles, a wind-up torch and an AGA which holds the heat for 24 hours. I’ve got plenty of tinned dog food and some useful stuff in the cpboard for me.
I use goat’s milk, which seems to have a much longer shelf life and will always survive twenty four hours.
It will be so much better in London.
Comment by AnonW | November 13, 2010 |