What Preps are you doing this week? Part 9

[Jerseyspud]

Found one of our local online grocery places selling off old lines (but still well in date) dirt cheap so stocked up on a good few bits

[Frnc]

ignore, misread post

[jansman]

We have done our online grocery shop. Stocking more tinned vegetables,microwave rice and such. We use a lot of frozen veg ,along with garden produce. We are trying to make sure that we are not relying on freezer storage in case of blackouts.Mrs J is cooking economically with microwave,slow cooker and air fryer. I usually have boiled eggs for breakfast,and I like them well boiled - six minutes on gas. So now,I smash them into a container and microwave for 1 minute 20 seconds,and make egg sandwiches. That keeps me going until 9 am ,and then my employer feeds me! And lunchtime too. Saves me about £12 a day!

After the animals are attended to,I have some firewood to process,and then some battery lighting in the walk- in pantry,outside toilet and the outbuilding where we keep freezers,extra tinned goods and emergency equipment. When the house was rewired,we had LED lighting all through,and whilst it is cheap to run,it’s still on the mains. Also,the grumbling rumours that we may have rolling blackouts are the main reason for emergency lighting being in place.Indeed The Duchess picks up alkaline batteries every time she is in our local department store - B and M!

Now that Ivan has cut off the gas to Europe,we are going to experience some interesting events. Even more history is going to be created.

[diamond lil]

It's a problem isnt it. One website says prepare for elect cut and blackouts, then another one says we might have the gas cut off. So you end up dithering around wondering how many gadgets to buy, trying to cover all outcomes. I was fairly sure the gas would stay on and now I'm unsure Getting a microwave tomorrow anyway, that will help.

[rik_uk3]

That looks really cosy rik!

It is, 90% of the time I run LED lighting in there but its nice to have the glow of a lantern or two and the cave is now solar now so no electric fan heater this winter, just paraffin heaters and occasionally a butane heater to boost heat when I first go down there. I might fit a tent woodburner in there, need to think about that one.

Look into the china diesel heaters they run on 12v and red diesel (still permitted for domestic heating) or 32sec heating oil

I've got one (although out on loan at the moment) and they work well but remember I was a classic camp stove collector so have paraffin heaters kicking about. I've got a Wildo woodburner I may well end up fitting

[jennyjj01]

We have done our online grocery shop. Stocking more tinned vegetables,microwave rice and such. ...

So now,I smash them into a container and microwave for 1 minute 20 seconds,and make egg sandwiches....

The Duchess picks up alkaline batteries every time she is in our local department store - B and M!

Now that Ivan has cut off the gas to Europe,we are going to experience some interesting events. Even more history is going to be created.

Good energy saving idea with those eggs. Scrambled eggs, with Garlic, (nom nom nom) are excellent and quick in the microwave. It is possible to poach, but for gods sake pierce the yolk. I had one explode in my face and it was not pleasant.

Bemused. I'm the same picking up Alkaline batteries in Lidl.... But I don't really know why, when I have so many rechargeables.
The exception: PP3s, where I recently bought some nimh ones and I'm not impressed at all. Very low voltage, very light, and I don't believe the capacity.

We are in WWE where 'E' is energy. And we are acting like it's just another minor crisis that will pass. It isn't. It won't. It's softening us up.

[GillyBee]

If there are gas shortages we see electricity blackouts first as the power stations are included in the list of heavy gas users who have the ability to switch off safely.
Next step is to provide lower quality gas. Cutting gas to households is an absolute last step accompanied by emergency broadcasts everywhere and loud hailers in the street. If it happens we will probably be without gas for weeks as each houshold has to be reconnected by hand by an engineer to avoid exposions.

There is an article here about the national grid planning session held every year that has just happened which is not too technical.

https://inews.co.uk/news/long-reads/uks ... ms-1818758

My read on it is: Electrical blackouts are looking quite likely. If we get a serious cold snap then we could get the nightmare of no gas for a prolonged period but this is much less likely.

[Le Mouse]

I've been buying more batteries and I am waiting on delivery of a battery storage bag from that Big River place (thanks Yorkshire Andy for posting that these things exist!). I dug out my fake Trangia and had a go at making my tea with it earlier this week - I definitely need more practice I'm going to try and use my microwave more often as well.

[jennyjj01]

Cutting gas to households is an absolute last step accompanied by emergency broadcasts everywhere and loud hailers in the street. If it happens we will probably be without gas for weeks as each houshold has to be reconnected by hand by an engineer to avoid exposions.

I expect to see a sudden but low key recruitment drive for 'gas turner onners' who will be given a half day course and will be readied for the task.
As you say. Turning it off will be a last gasp act, but let's watch for how it happens in Germany, as it surely will.

[diamond lil]

But if the elect is off then gas central heating doesn't work, isn't that right? So they might make enough savings in the amount used, just by cutting off the supply to the biggest users in industry -including power stations - which would wipe out all gas central heating.