power cuts 2015

[Mortblanc]

You are overcomplicating the issue.

Our blackouts are done on a rotation schedule that is announced in advance.

From what I understand that is what was done during some of your general strikes several years ago, so TPTB have some experience in this area.

They do not turn off 20% of the power off permanently as if you will not have power forever and give the other 80% to someone else.

Get your solar and 12V systems set up, use the charger while the power is on and turn on the battery backup and LED lights on when the juice is off.

As for warmth, get the log burner, a paraffin or propane heater set up, wrap up, or go down to the pub.

Over here we set up "warming centers" for people in a power emergency. Usually city facilities with emergency generators such as city halls, libraries..

So there is the option of inviting some neighbors over to warm up rather than just taking the "tough nuts" attitude. Put on the kettle, play some cards, talk a while, plan the garden for next year.

[Tarrel]

Agreed. Even a couple of hours of mains power a day would be enough to put some charge into a car battery to give LED lighting during the evening. My advice is forget candles and kerosene lamps, except as a total SHTF backup. We had a couple of hours of working by candlelight the other week when the Highlands grid went down, then the power came back up and our kitchen was flooded with light from our 5W halogen replacement LEDs. I experimented by turning them all off bar one. The light from this single 5W lamp completely swamped that produced by five candles, and it uses only around 0.4A. So, for say 6 hours of light, that's 2.4 Amp hours. A 75Ah leisure battery (Go Outdoors £69.95) would give you 20 nights of such lighting and still be one third charged.

[Mortblanc]

One never knows how many "converts" to the prepper discipline will be made when the answer to the question "How long is this going to go on?" is

"Forever!"

Followed by "What will it be next?"