Am I over-preparing?

[GrahamT]

Hearing the news, I have always been prone to over-worry, but the predicted power cuts this winter has worried me.

I've bought a generator (Honda) that can supply 2.2kw - so we can plug in a small heater (or even the central heating boiler if things get that bad) and a few table lamps.
I've bought a rechargeable DVD player with a 14 inch screen.
I've collected a few decent LED torches.
We've got a gas hob, so we can eat and brew up - it's only the ignition that relies on mains electric.

Hopefully it won't be needed - but is there anything obvious that I've missed?

Condoms

 

[Benzowner]

Nuclear fall out shelter in case Putin looses more ground and decides to pull the trigger

 

[ChipChop]

I would have thought the only people that should be concerned about electricity cuts this winter in the UK should be EV drivers. Electricity supplied to heat homes and operate businesses is of a far greater social priority than electricity to 'fuel' EV's. Every 30 miles driven in an EV equals a days worth of average household electricity usage. Which came first the shortage of electricity or the rise of the EV's guzzling up all the supply?

 

[Swotty]

Don't forget the number of extension leads you will need in order to run your emergency supply separately from the mains. We have 4 x 20m to keep the fridge/freezers, tvs/sat boxes, ch pump, other stuff running off the genny.

We use external/garden solar-powered lights for emergency lighting. May be worth investing in a set, even for the UK.

 

[SpikyMikey]

Got the genny to run the mancave to keep the business side of things going and will keep the essentials in the house alive, plus Solar/battery lighting .
May all be a bit academic if Mad Vlad drops a 'Bucket of Sunshine' on us.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Maybe we ought to rename this thread the "Pessimist Thread"! The chances of nuclear attack are next to nil....(in fact it's looking more likely that Putin will fall first....but we have another thread for that)...as are the chances of blackouts.....even the power companies say so. It's just the press looking in the dark side as always. Things can change of course......like a really cold winter happening (remember them)......but unless that happens it will be business as usual at Chez ALFAitalia!

 

[BigJase88]

Maybe we ought to rename this thread the "Pessimist Thread"! The chances of nuclear attack are next to nil....(in fact it's looking more likely that Putin will fall first....but we have another thread for that)...as are the chances of blackouts.....even the power companies say so. It's just the press looking in the dark side as always. Things can change of course......like a really cold winter happening (remember them)......but unless that happens it will be business as usual at Chez ALFAitalia!

Yeah do not read the news.

Load of fear mongering.

Doom and Gloom at 10 it should be called

 

[clk320x]

I would have thought the only people that should be concerned about electricity cuts this winter in the UK should be EV drivers. Electricity supplied to heat homes and operate businesses is of a far greater social priority than electricity to 'fuel' EV's. Every 30 miles driven in an EV equals a days worth of average household electricity usage. Which came first the shortage of electricity or the rise of the EV's guzzling up all the supply?

Considering most EVs recharge overnight when the strain on the grid is incredibly low your arguement is a little flawed.

 

[Darrell]

Considering most EVs recharge overnight when the strain on the grid is incredibly low your arguement is a little flawed.

But if all the EVs recharged overnight at the same time what will happen?

 

[ChipChop]

Considering most EVs recharge overnight when the strain on the grid is incredibly low your arguement is a little flawed.

Argument? Just stating facts. Sorry if those facts make it very clear that EV's use huge amounts of electricity. Can't you just use public transport if you are so bothered about urban pollution?

Your overnight EV charging factoid may hold some semblance of truth but all that does is bring up more issues if a harsh winter occurs and people, particularily the elderly, have to have their heating on overnight to stay warm.

 

[PXW]

But if all the EVs recharged overnight at the same time what will happen?

Nothing. There are currently about 570000 pure EVs on the UK roads. If they all charge simultaneously on typical home overnight chargers at 7kw, the total load is about 4Gw. Typical grid load over the last month is 19Gw minimum and about 37Gw maximum.

 

[geoffus]

Your overnight EV charging factoid may hold some semblance of truth but all that does is bring up more issues if a harsh winter occurs and people, particularily the elderly, have to have their heating on overnight to stay warm.

Do many people use electric heating anymore, surely storage heaters are a thing of the past ?

 

[ChipChop]

Do many people use electric heating anymore, surely storage heaters are a thing of the past ?

My previous property was all electric using underfloor heating. 2 electricity meters, one for overnight, when the underfloor heating was on and the other for daytime use. NPower were the only utility company who could supply this service. Moot point anyway as gas is used to produce a lot of electricity in the UK.

 

[BTB 500]

Nothing. There are currently about 570000 pure EVs on the UK roads. If they all charge simultaneously on typical home overnight chargers at 7kw, the total load is about 4Gw. Typical grid load over the last month is 19Gw minimum and about 37Gw maximum.

Presumably that's averaged across the entire grid though ... there'd surely be scope for localised supply issues e.g. in cities where the uptake of EVs could be widespread and rapid ?

 

[StMarks]

Maybe we ought to rename this thread the "Pessimist Thread"! The chances of nuclear attack are next to nil....(in fact it's looking more likely that Putin will fall first....but we have another thread for that)...as are the chances of blackouts.....even the power companies say so. It's just the press looking in the dark side as always. Things can change of course......like a really cold winter happening (remember them)......but unless that happens it will be business as usual at Chez ALFAitalia!

You didn't address the impending Zombie Apocalypse.! (post #12)

 

[SpikyMikey]

You didn't address the impending Zombie Apocalypse.! (post #12)

It's OK. By the time that happens all our brains will have been fried by 5G signals

 

[Petrol Pete]

Do many people use electric heating anymore, surely storage heaters are a thing of the past ?

Storage heaters should be a thing of the past but they are not . around our way hundreds of 'council houses' (read privately owned sub letted back to local councils) Still have them. Many (most) of these properties are not connected to gas so are 100% electric.

 

[PXW]

Presumably that's averaged across the entire grid though ... there'd surely be scope for localised supply issues e.g. in cities where the uptake of EVs could be widespread and rapid ?

There may be odd spots but overall I’d have thought the opposite - the cities etc will be the areas taking up the majority of the extra daytime v nighttime load so the local grids are likely to have the capacity there - possibly more likely to have an issue in the countryside where the load is probably less peak/off peak in nature and where the infrastructure may be less well developed.

I think everyone agrees that better general charging infrastructure is needed for a general switchover, and that may well mean local DNO upgrades in various places. But the overall generation capacity is enough (and the grid operators have said so, on a number of occasions) - and more particularly in terms of this thread, I’m not expecting particular difficulties this winter. My numbers also assumed that every EV charged at the same time every night - we, like most people, would only charge ours perhaps once per week.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

My numbers also assumed that every EV charged at the same time every night - we, like most people, would only charge ours perhaps once per week.

That would be true for a large proportion of MBClubbera and society at large too. EVs are inherently “connected” and so controlling when each car receives charge once plugged in - to actively mamagage demand - isn’t difficult. Mobile phones already manage the charging profile albeit for a different reason, to minimise aging of the battery.

 

[davymead]

Four candles?

Not handles for forks ….