Uk members. How long would you last with a week long power cut this winter?

I have gone a bit soft over the past few years and think I would be in trouble in a matter of hours.

I am interested in how others here are doing and any advice.

I remember living in a rural location as a child we lost power for 5 days but open fires and candles, a good food cupboard and some board games we got through it just fine.

I could not say that today.

a reply to: nonspecific
We would be ok. Two healthy adults no kids. Old folk, people with young'uns on the other hand...

I'm not from the UK but I could go most of the winter without electricity. We only have a couple of months of food stored for ourselves and our extended family though. Our half cow doesn't come for a month yet. I should get two more six gallon cans of gas though.

a reply to: nonspecific

Just bought few weeks ago 8kW genset just in case. Next is to buy pair of heaters. Will keep signed, and the neighbor with their newborn, still in the books.

(sorry guys, did not realize this was a UK only thread)

It would be great. My community and family would be ok. My kids would love it. My two inglenook fireplaces already heat the house. Bring it on.

regards

When I lived in the American NE, we'd have ice storms that would take out the power for days, sometimes a week or more. The general public was so idiotic, they'd panic about their frozen foods thawing out, when it was below freezing outside... bitching about water supplies when there was 8 foot of snow on the ground. What the entire populace needs is a very long wakeup call.

If we built houses that were super insulated earthships, off grid and proud of it, the power being out, or extreme weather, would be a blip and easily handled. The problem is getting 'permits' to actually build a house off grid. For some strange reason, you're not supposed to be able to avoid corporate utilities, corporate bills and corporate mortgages and do for yourself.

It's high time we were 'allowed' to build the kind of houses we wanted, and experimentation would show the best way forward for any given climate or weather condition. There also shouldn't be a limit on how small you can make a house, since smaller is better for lots of reasons.

originally posted by: deckdel
a reply to: nonspecific

Just bought few weeks ago 8kW genset just in case. Next is to buy pair of heaters. Will keep signed, and the neighbor with their newborn, still in the books.

(sorry guys, did not realize this was a UK only thread)

Not a uk only thread please stay, It's just that every where has diffrent ways of doing so. I would be very interested in opinions from other countries.

a reply to: nonspecific
I'd last the whole week.
...would be an inconvenience of course but putting a couple of layers of clothes on is not the end of the world is it.
I have alternative plans certainly, but -5C with no mains power for a few weeks is pretty lame as something to be scared about in my thoughts. Really lame.

2 weeks of course.

originally posted by: grainofsand
a reply to: nonspecific
I'd last the whole week.
...would be an inconvenience of course but putting a couple of layers of clothes on is not the end of the world is it.
I have alternative plans certainly, but -5C with no mains power for a few weeks is pretty lame as something to be scared about in my thoughts. Really lame.

Thats the point I am trying to make, to be in the situation where no power means real trouble is worrying but how many familys would be able to cope in the cold months for even a few days without central heating, electric lighting and the ability to cook?

originally posted by: Dumbass
2 weeks of course.

Cool, why two weeks if I may ask?

a reply to: nonspecific
Agreed, many lame families would not cope at all...or should I say lame family leaders/providers.
Tragic.

originally posted by: grainofsand
a reply to: nonspecific
Agreed, many lame families would not cope at all...or should I say lame family leaders/providers.
Tragic.

I am not sure if lame is the right term, we live in such an agreeable world that many do not realise how quickly things can take a turn for the worst.

I found myself falling into the same trap of security and wondered if ats'ers where different to most of my friends and neighbours.

The majority of familys i know are drastically unprepared for even 24 hours of power loss in the colder months.

originally posted by: judoka
a reply to: nonspecific
We would be ok. Two healthy adults no kids. Old folk, people with young'uns on the other hand...

So are you in some way prepared or would you just get through it old school?

Do you have people that you may have to check up on locally ect.

a reply to: nonspecific
I slept 6 months on the streets as a runaway 16 year old and rebuilt my life by myself...a quarter of a century or so later I don't worry about something as lame as a prolonged power cut, but I am aware of people who would struggle to cope in such circumstances.

We'd be fine. We actually had a 5 day powercut two winters ago in those big storms. I mean, it was pretty unpleasant and difficult. But we survived.

originally posted by: grainofsand
a reply to: nonspecific
I slept 6 months on the streets as a runaway 16 year old and rebuilt my life by myself...a quarter of a century or so later I don't worry about something as lame as a prolonged power cut, but I am aware of people who would struggle to cope in such circumstances.

I commend you and have come to where I am through similar hardships. I have in the past been on the very limits of survival both in urban struggle and literally living in the woods and off of the land.

The reason for the post as stated earlier was that as life has got better I have become reliant on society to the point where I have almost forgotten to plan ahead.

Many of my friends and neighbours although happy in life are very much living day to day and reliant on shops running, electricity and gas on tap ect...

I would be very unhappy to ask around and find out how many people had candles and off grid cooking and heating supplies to hand in the UK right now.

originally posted by: Painterz
We'd be fine. We actually had a 5 day powercut two winters ago in those big storms. I mean, it was pretty unpleasant and difficult. But we survived.

Is that because your hardcore or did you plan ahead in case of such an eventuality?

a reply to: nonspecific

It was just Dumbass reply on the question "How long would you last with a week long power cut"...

As I managed to survive a 3 week powercut in winter with a newborn and a high maintenance Misses without a fireplace and filled food storage, I think I would have no problems besides inconveniences to survive one week as the high maintenance Misses has sadly passed away and the newborn is grown and trained. It would be an adventure.

I would see a lot of people having troubles but most results or effects you would encounter would be just hearing complaints and nagging about it. I don't think many people would die in "just" one week.

In the UK the majority of people live in houses with the waste taken away by pipes. Just that going down would defeat most people. Flush the toilet. the problems gone. But if there was no electricity the place where the waste goes(the sewerage facilities) would not operate therefore after a couple of days the waste would be backing up to your toilet. That in itself would be a life changer.