please empty your brain below
We should dig out our old Z470xi phones and keep them charged and ready.

Dan | 06.10.21 - 7:13 a.m. | #

Do you store the radio in a metal box?

Medford | 06.10.21 - 7:24 a.m. | #

I have a sudden urge to watch 28 Days Later again,.

Geofftech | 06.10.21 - 7:30 a.m. | #

"probably never happen"? I'm not so sure. Computer networks are now at the centre of everything. They are highly vulnerable to criminal or political attack (or even just management and configuration complexities), and getting more so. Security measures cannot keep up. Offline banks, transport, shops, hospitals, satellites, government, you name it, how would that be?

John Abbott | 06.10.21 - 7:39 a.m. | #

I still have my mum's emergency candles from the last winter of discontent.

ap | 06.10.21 - 7:42 a.m. | #

I realised this far later in life than I can be proud of, but rather than aiming in the dark and hoping for the best, it's much easier and tidier to sit down.

Al | 06.10.21 - 7:46 a.m. | #

Conspiracy theory time.It can't be a coincidence that the FB outage happened this week too. DG clearly runs a global empire from the heart of Bow.

DavidC | 06.10.21 - 7:46 a.m. | #

No need to aim in the dark if you sit instead.

Beanie | 06.10.21 - 7:47 a.m. | #

That was a bit of a depressing read to start the day! Feel I need to buy a wind-up radio now.

David | 06.10.21 - 7:49 a.m. | #

David - Me too (thinking of self powered radio). Guessing a rechargeable one would do the trick for most outtages. Battery powered would work too, but batteries would probably quiclkly become unavailable in any long term situation. Have big power brick for phone already. Guessing phone could last a week with reduced use. Have gas for making tea/ hot food.

Lorenzo Hermoso | 06.10.21 - 8:01 a.m. | #

Rechargeable batteries keep our radio powered for months at a time, and we have precharged spares, but I’m not sure how long Radio 4 will keep broadcasting, assuming the equipment survives the EMP, or CME, or whatever else causes the disaster...

The phones and email would go, so we’d just have to speak to members of our household (if any), and neighbours, and friends and family who live nearby. Facemail, with real emotions instead of emojis.

Most of us will be in real trouble if the taps stop running, or if food distribution breaks down.

Andrew | 06.10.21 - 8:04 a.m. | #

Amongst my many radios I have one that is solar powered to charge its batteries and can also be hand wound if there is no sun. I have other radios which can run from batteries.
As the BBC and other broadcasters keep telling us to listen online (much cheaper for them than using transmitting towers) I just hope the off-air service does not close.
You can get televisions that run of batteries.
I keep LED torches at various location in the house.
Baked beans and other tinned foods can be eaten cold straight from the tin and on plain bread instead of toast.
If things get too bad buy a portable generator.

John | 06.10.21 - 8:20 a.m. | #

I woke today feeling mildly depressed, contemplating the state of the UK/World both in the short and longer term, and personal health challenges. I feel worse now.

Frank F | 06.10.21 - 8:43 a.m. | #

As we experience load-shedding each Monday, Wednesday and Friday, plus other power cuts due to faults, we have learned to live with it. This is Zimbabwe, and things are better now than they were a few years ago. I recommend Thermos flasks, solar rechargeable lights, an insulated box to keep pre-cooked food hot, and keeping a few buckets filled with fresh water.

anothertim | 06.10.21 - 8:46 a.m. | #

First they take out Facebook, then they take out DG.

It's arguable that 'most people' have already lost factual connection without the aid of a power cut.

One of the oddities about real life disasters is that I'll know what's happening via the media, but those actually involved in it at the time usually don't.

Still Anon | 06.10.21 - 8:59 a.m. | #

There are probably over 100,000 people in the UK without power (or a toilet) because they are living on the streets. A Sense of Proportion?

dg writes: Nearer 3000.

Malcolm of Kent | 06.10.21 - 9:01 a.m. | #

I was a teenager living on the thirteenth floor of a tower block during the power cuts/ three day week of the 1970s. I remember the seemingly endless plod up the dark stairwells. These days my biggest fear during power cuts is for the contents of my two freezers. With a large-ish hungry family I cook in bulk. My first thought at a flickering light is for fish pies/spaghetti sauces/ soups and their survival, rather than my own. Probably says something about a lack of imagination on my part.

joan | 06.10.21 - 9:04 a.m. | #

I've been told more than once by removal men that if a freezer door is kept shut it will remain cold enough inside for up to 48 hours.
The fridge doesn't matter much, food doesn't go off very quickly.

Joho | Homepage | 06.10.21 - 9:05 a.m. | #

If the power goes off for more than a few hours society will begin to disintegrate rapidly anyway. Looting first, nastier stuff later depending on the time the power is off. After a few days you won't need to worry about Radio 4.

I always think of the 80s TV movie 'Threads' when stuff like this is talked about. Aren't I the optimistic one!

Chris | 06.10.21 - 9:20 a.m. | #

If you'd still had a landline you would at least have been able to phone people without worrying about running the battery down, the power at the exchange being rather more reliable with many hours backup. That's about to change though as we all get switched to voice over internet in the next few years whether we like it or not.

Andrew S | 06.10.21 - 9:26 a.m. | #

I took the precaution of bringing a single burner alcohol stove back from the boat, but still haven't got round to getting a kettle to put on it. Saucepan tea just isn't the same.

Sarah | Homepage | 06.10.21 - 9:29 a.m. | #

If we do face an 'end of world' scenario we can be certain that TfL will put a release out advising there may be disruption to service.

Stuart R | 06.10.21 - 9:31 a.m. | #

I've wondered before about how those keyless entry / security systems work in the event of a power cut. Presumably they must have some form of battery back up to avoid risking being locked out / in. That's if you remember to check any batteries if so.

Tim | 06.10.21 - 9:55 a.m. | #

John - It’s all very well getting a portable generator, but you would not necessarily be able to obtain fuel for it.

Bob S | 06.10.21 - 9:58 a.m. | #

Bizarrely, I suffered a power cut reading this. I kid you not

Chris | 06.10.21 - 9:59 a.m. | #

For a couple of years we got several regular water outages - whole neighbourhood suddenly losing water due to pipe issues. I presume they've finally fixed the underlying issue now but we had 10 hours without water on the last one.

I keep a couple of large bottles of water in stock now. Just in case.

Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 06.10.21 - 10:37 a.m. | #

I recently found myself lying in the dark, thinking about the apocalypse, and realising I needed a wind up radio. I put it to the back of my mind. This has resurrected that thought.

Scott | Homepage | 06.10.21 - 10:39 a.m. | #

When we start seeing those "The End Is Nigh" sandwich board men plodding up and down Oxford Street again - then I'll start to worry!!

Cornish Cockney | 06.10.21 - 10:42 a.m. | #

Imagine: Our dwellings are properly insulated. Most vehicles are electric. Millions of batteries are plugged into a grid, both charging and feeding back into it. So near, and yet..

jpmac | 06.10.21 - 10:42 a.m. | #

“Emojis will not survive the apocalypse.”

I didn’t realise things could get that bad!

Toni | 06.10.21 - 11:39 a.m. | #

I find it interesting how much better-prepared less developed countries are for this sort of situation. When staying at a hotel in Takoradi, Ghana, "outages" were a regular thing. Each time it happened, someone would come to the room within minutes, with a battery-opearated fluorescent tube, and life carried on. No radio available, admittedly, but I had light enough to read the guide book to learn about my next destination - Kumasi, capital of Ashanti region. There, I did not experience any power cuts.

cau1khead | 06.10.21 - 12:00 p.m. | #

Living in the country, power outages are not uncommon. I do have a couple of oil lamps, a wind-up radio and keep multiple gallon containers of water on hand along with extra food supplies. The problem when losing power here is that it also means the loss of water as we have a well and septic (pump needs electricity to operate). Meaning not only can't you get a of drink water, you can't flush toilets or take a shower either. A few days of that makes things very unpleasant. Happened back in the 1990s when we had an ice storm that knocked out power for almost a week. You couldn't go anywhere for supplies because falling trees had blocked all roads out of the neighborhood. Luckily, we have a wood stove, so had heat and could do some cooking on top of it. Never taken electricity for granted since then.

Mary | 06.10.21 - 12:11 p.m. | #

My mobile device can act as a Hotspot, therefore, I can use my laptop when there is a break in my home Broadband.

Also, I can access my emails from my phone so have both been able to defer doomsday and keep in touch.

You may need to change providers to have this flexibility.

Ken | 06.10.21 - 12:24 p.m. | #

I live on the 32nd floor - luckily never had a power cut here as going out for a walk would not be an easy option.

Alan | 06.10.21 - 1:07 p.m. | #

Maybe bus stop M has one of those solar powered lamps, complete with push-button glow in the dark timetable cases. They were all the rage in the 2000s (I think) but I’m not sure if they’re still a thing. Great for reading a book during a power cut. Perhaps.

finlay | 06.10.21 - 1:31 p.m. | #

A small noninteruptable power supply would keep Wi-Fi working and allow phone charging.

Some folk with electric cars have run their whole house for days.

Mike D | 06.10.21 - 2:14 p.m. | #

Since 2019 with a government subsidy my house is solar powered. Plus a small wind generator for back up.

Michael | 06.10.21 - 2:18 p.m. | #

Your post prompted me to check the batteries in my radio, which i normally
run off the mains. Fortunately, although
dead, they hadn't reached that leaky corrosive stage so no damage.
Marvellous how it's got us all thinking.

the other eric | 06.10.21 - 2:34 p.m. | #

Get used to it. The 1970's are making a comeback bigtime this winter.

Matt | 06.10.21 - 2:49 p.m. | #

An interesting selection of comments, prompting memories of power cuts.

I too have a selection of old candles, plus a lantern that takes those little night-lights (safer than candles). There is a box of them somewhere.
I seem to remember working with candles in the office during the three-day week. Were we really allowed to do that or did we leave work early?

I have a tiny kettle for a gas cooker, originally bought for a beach hut one holiday back in the 60s. And a wind-up torch, probably needed to find the kettle!

Now I should probably go and check what I do have or might need. Thankyou

g.chingford | 06.10.21 - 3:19 p.m. | #

I bought 25 litres of paraffin at the start of the first lock down, which works for heat and light. And quite a lot of house paint with which I am yet to make very much progress :-)

If you have a car, one of those USB 5v things which goes in the cigarette lighter is quite handy for charging things up - a full car battery goes a long way for phones and small things.

mark addy | 06.10.21 - 8:47 p.m. | #

Re-reading this article, can I thank everyone who used the words 'power cuts' rather than 'power outages'.

Thank you.

Chris | 06.10.21 - 10:14 p.m. | #

DavidC - I don't know about you, but I for one have NEVER seen DG and Mark Zuckerberg in the same place at the same time.

Josh | 07.10.21 - 3:11 a.m. | #

Reading this piece reminded me of the after effect of the 1987, when the south east was without power for several hours. And the great Italian power cut of 28 September 2003, after a tree fell on a Swiss transmission line, which affected the whole country (except Sardinia) - restoring power took most of the day.
And looking it up led me to http://www.theblackoutreport.co.uk/ - which tells you far more than you ever wanted to know. But is far more about the why of no electricity, rather than the practical and social impacts.
On which I recall that at the start of the American, et. invasion of Iraq, one of their targets was the electricity network, but I don't remember seeing any report of the effects of this.

Jeremy GH | 07.10.21 - 10:00 a.m. | #

Mike D - "A small noninteruptable power supply would keep Wi-Fi working and allow phone charging."
But not the digital telecoms network that feeds your Wi-Fi -- all the stages in the distribution network.

Jeremy GH - "the great Italian power cut of 28 September 2003"
One of the problems was that the Italian grid people planned to use their mobile phones to switch the grid back on, section by section, without causing a spike that would cut it all out again. Problem was that the mobile base stations lost power, as their batteries didn't last long enough.

"Iraq, one of their targets was the electricity network"
It meant that rebuilding the country after the invasion was much, much harder

AlanBG | 07.10.21 - 10:58 a.m. | #

I am reading this the day after experiencing a huge earthquake in Tokyo around 10:30 pm. Fortunately no damage. Just very scary. No power lost. 30 mains water pipes were impacted around the city but repaired overnight.

I really hope I don’t live long enough to experience what could be a mega quake in Tokyo.

Jon Allen | 08.10.21 - 3:23 p.m. | #

I still wonder why my parents allowed me to watch Threads and the original series of Survivors when I was a fairly young and certainly impressionable teenager. Ever since I've always wondered about defensible spaces and how I would survive when things go down.

The '70s saw a huge fear of nuclear armageddon, now we have climate change impacting lots of people around the world and that's only going to get worse with very likely impacts on our basic services, not to mention Brexit of course. By far the best thing I've seen that envisages the impact (without those particular triggers) is the brilliant film Children of Men.

You're an exemplar I think to many of us in getting out into the world and vigorously engaging with it, for which my thanks.

Colin | Homepage | 10.10.21 - 9:48 a.m. | #











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