Blackouts are where all the electricity in your home just dies. If you’re lucky, it’s caused by something simple like a blown fuse, in which case you can replace it in the fuse box and carry on as normal. But, sometimes, blackouts can last for hours on end due to a problem with a nearby electricity line or something else.
So, what happens when you’re stuck in your home with no electricity? Think about all the things you may be unable to do! Bearing that in mind, here are a few emergency supplies all home-owners should stash away just in case.
Torches, candles, battery-powered lamps
You get the idea; anything that provides your home with light needs to be part of your emergency supplies. Thankfully, all smart phones come with torches, so you’ll have plenty of them. We think some battery-powered lamps are great for adding lots of light to your home, and candles work well too.
A Dutch oven
This sounds strange, but a Dutch oven is one of the best cooking appliances because of how versatile it is. As you can see on the Stone Frying Pans website, they’re commonly used for cooking outdoors or bringing on camping trips. A Dutch oven is large enough to cook lots of different things in, so it’s ideal if you need to eat while there’s a blackout, and your cooker is electric. It can be placed over a fire in your fireplace, or you can also get a portable gas hot plate type thing to use as well. When you don’t have access to multiple hobs or your oven, then a Dutch oven is the next best thing.
One top tip is to stock your cupboards full of foods that are easy for you to cook in a Dutch oven and don’t perish. Tinned soups are perfect for this, as are things like baked beans, and basically any other tinned foods. They might not be the most delicious, but they’re easy to cook and will keep everyone’s stomachs happy!
Portable generator
A lot of country homes have backup generators that kick in when there’s a blackout. Obviously, most people don’t have enough space for a full-on generator, so the next idea is a smaller one. Portable generators are great for supplying your home with a bit of electricity. Our advice is to plug in things that need it the most – like your fridge/freezer. Think of all the food you’ll waste if your fridge and freezer are turned off for hours on end! If everyone’s phones run out of power, then you can plug them in as well to ensure you have a means of communicating with the outside world!
If you’re prone to power outages in your home, then it might be worth buying more than one portable generator. Think of them as an emergency investment in your home. It’s better to pay for them and have them than to not have them when you need them. Plus, you can always use them to help power gardening equipment instead of trying to stretch leads all the way inside your home.
Mini heater
In a lot of new or renovated homes, the heat supply is powered by electricity. So, when this goes out, you lose your central heating system. As such, get your hands on a mini heater or two that’s either battery-powered or can be hooked up to your portable generator. When the temperature drops, you ensure that everyone stays warm and safe. You can buy one mini heater or multiple ones, it all depends on how big your house is and how much money you’re willing to spend.
Thermal blankets
Again, this is to help combat the cold if your power goes out during a particularly cold period. Yes, your mini heaters will help, but they can’t heat up your entire home. You’d have to buy one for every room, and then it becomes a case of finding the space to store them when they’re not being used. Instead, you can combine heaters with thermal blankets. These will ensure everyone can wrap up warm if it’s freezing. Plus, this is one of those things that you can use even when the power is on.
Blackouts can be unpredictable, and you don’t want one to cause issues for your family and your home. If you get your hands on all of these supplies, then you’ll be perfectly prepared for anything. You’ve got a way of cooking food so no-one goes hungry, you have a power source to keep essential things up and running, and you have light and heat as well.
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