I don’t normally see this as a big issue as I live in a large town but I suspect things will be changing in the future. The grid in my view is creaking mainly due to uninformed green activists who are very vocal even though they are in the minority. They are driving the politicians towards renewable power sources which might sound nice and eco but what do you do when the wind stops blowing. The biggest issue is they lack technical know how and simply won’t listen to the experts.
So I expect the lights to go off soon.
Thought?
I agree joe , I see power outages coming very soon ...not if ....but when , there are a few good reasons on the horizon and closing in fast . Although I have always had generators I have bought two brand new ones this year ..
I have oil lamps and fuel to run them , candles I have loads .....LPG bottles enough for sixteen months or more if I go careful .....solar panels and all the bits ready to rock, three separate systems ......I see the scenario similar to that of the seventies where there was controlled limited supply ( being the first instance ) and not forgetting extra blankets and quilts with the highest tog rating.....and a wood burning stove along with plenty of firewood .
This is only a prepping scenerio in "first world nations"!
In most of the world part time electricity is the norm, not a disaster.
I should think that by now all of us would have a "decorative" paraffin lamp around. Candles are nice ambiance but for usable light it is good to remember that the pretty and decorative paraffin lamp is what the light bulb replaced in most rural homes.
I have always considered my "Coleman lanterns" which run petrol under pressure, as must own gear. They put out light that is almost painful.
Better sort out the cooking gear too. Many have electric cookers and even those that are on gas might see the mains fail if things are that bad, or the Ukraine gets pi$$ed.
Power cuts or even the power grid going down isnt a problem for me, I have lived without power in the past so I will just revert to that again.
Joe, don't you know the British government by now? They say one thing and do another. The Norway/UK under sea power line went live the end of last month and they're away setting up new oil and gas rigs in the North Sea. Norway is one of the only countries to have nearly 100% effective renewable energy using hydro electric dams, and I suspect the plan might be to partner/invest with the Norwegians to upscale/increase capacity in exchange for cheap electricity transmitted to the UK via the under sea power line. I think the reason the British government is a bit quiet about it is it's pissing off the EU. Norway also isn't in the EU. That said I also have my own personal modest power generation methods and a reasonable amount of camping gas and stoves and alcohol stoves and bio fuel for it.
If you prep for a complete breakdown with no mains electricity at all, intermittent power cuts are an inconvenience certainly not a disaster.
Candles, tea lights, hurricane lamps, windup led lanterns, solar charger. If no mains for the tv read a book
.
When you do have mains use it for the freezer, if that’s ok do laundry, use the immersion heater or charge batteries.
power cuts are nothing new in the south west, I grew up with power cuts.
usual supplies in hand.