Take the 24 Hours Without Electricity Challenge
I don’t normally suggest that people watch television. Too many of us probably already spend more than enough time doing that. In addition to the fact that many of today’s TV shows destroy brain cells, watching the tube too much probably means we’re sitting around too often when we should be moving.
But I do want to suggest that you watch a few rerun episodes of Little House on the Prairie. It’s a wholesome show that the whole family can view together, but more important for the sake of this topic, it’s a good look at what life was like before electricity.
As has been stated before, if suddenly the electrical grid were to go down for an extended period of time, it would be worse for us than merely being plunged back into the 1800s. Back then, they knew how to function quite well without electricity. We have no idea.
I suggest that you take this challenge: go 24 hours without electricity. I’m not saying you should disconnect your home from the grid for a full day. I’m saying you and your family should go 24 hours without using it.
And during that 24-hour period, you should jot down which electrical device you were just about to use when you remembered that you couldn’t. Later, look through that list and put together a plan to deal with the lack of electricity in case a real emergency strikes and you’re forced to live without it for a period of time.
Let’s take a look at some of the items you will need to live without during this “powerless” challenge:
- Lights. This is the most obvious one and it will affect you more at night than during the day. Have your flashlights ready.
- Phone. You won’t be able to use your landline, so make sure your cellphone is fully charged if you’re planning to use it.
- Computer. Forget the desktop for the day. If your laptop or iPad are charged, you can use them, but no cheating by recharging them with electricity.
- Television. Nope, not even Little House on the Prairie.
- Refrigerator. Nothing in the fridge can be consumed on this day. Only from the pantry.
- Dishwasher. Better have clean dishes ready for this day.
- Stove and Microwave. Again, no. You’ll have to figure out another way to heat up your food if you feel the need to.
- Washer and Dryer. Hopefully your clothes will be clean at the start of the day.
- Garbage Disposal. Not today. Just toss the item in the garbage.
- Kitchen Appliances. No mixer today. Use a whisk.
Something to keep in mind is that while you can use battery-powered devices during a 24-hour power outage, you won’t be able to use them during an extended blackout unless you have a large supply of fully-charged batteries or a way to recharge them with the sun.
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In reference to the Landline telephone : some communities, cities, and states are phasing out the ‘traditional’ landline telephone service, in other-words, the telephone service requires internet service. Of course, internet service will not work without power. Just another thing to keep in mind. An alternate source of power is a must have!
That’s for sure, Naomi. People who count on the electrical grid 100 percent may someday wish they had invested in a generator.
What would the cost be to rreally set up food items like this in storage>
You CAN use your landline phone in a power outage because the electricity needed to power the ringer and transmit the voice comes over the phone lines, not the lines from the electric utility. What will not work are answering machines and cordless phones. Corded phones work fine, as long as the phone lines don’t go down as well. Everyone should have at least one working corded phone in their home for emergencies when there is no electrical power.
One thing, more critical than most, that I do not see mentioned is water. Anyone who is not on a municipal water line and relies on a well needs electricity to pump it up into the house. When the power goes out, you only have whatever water that happens to be left in the storage tank.
FIOS landlines will go dead after the eight hour backup battery dies. FIOS is a fiber optic line not a copper wire line and therefore not all landlines are created equally! Backup power for FIOS is mandatory.