Easy Ways to be Prepared for Long Term Power Outage

Power outages can happen for any reason at any time. Did you know that electricity was invented in 1800, but it wasn’t until 1882 that Edison helped to bring electricity to Manhattan. Progress was slow and for 50 years people still lit their homes with candles and gas light. By 1925, only half of all homes in the U.S. had electricity.

In the short time that we’ve had electricity, we’ve become 100% reliant on it.

There’s nothing wrong with using electricity. By all means, use it! In the mean time, understand that your electricity is being powered by a third party source that has no real responsibility to keep your lights on. Yes, when the electricity is out, they make every effort to get it back on because it’s a business and they want to keep your money.

However, nobody is entitled to electricity from a third party source who is selling it to you for a monthly fee.

Use it, but don’t 100% be reliant on it. Only be reliant on independent power sources that you control.

Here are some easy ways to be prepared for a long term power outage:

How much electricity do you really need?

One of the first questions you need ask yourself is, how much electricity do you really need? Most light sources will only be used at night. If you have a freezer or fridge that you’d like to keep running, that would require some alternative energy needs. If you’d like to keep some electronic devices to continue working, you can look into alternative charging options. You may be able to use your car battery for some charging needs as well, of course, don’t drain your battery and make sure you have plenty of gas in your vehicle to let it idle, but it’s an option.

In addition to storing food and water, there are some additional things to consider.

Candles

Candles are essential, in my opinion. If you store your own beeswax and wicks, you could have an ongoing supply of candles by making them yourself. Take a look at this easy DIY wick. You can purchase candles at the dollar store and places like Walmart even have great deals on some basic tea light candles. Make sure to have a secure and safe place to light them. I highly recommend a lantern or two that fit your candles.

Oil Lamps

Oil lanterns can be found at most hobby/craft stores. You can also buy the oil, but essentially, you can use any oil. You can also make your own oil lamp so you can use any type of oil, though olive oil works great and it’s smokeless. Get a small mason jar, fill it with oil, let the cotton wick (wider the wick, the better, braided wicks are great, but general cotton, braided, will work, too) completely soak up the oil, light and enjoy. Here’s an easy DIY oil lamp.

Solar

You can go as small or big with solar as you want. One of the best ways to introduce yourself and your family to solar is through a small foldable solar panel like the ones you might use for camping or hiking. They’re great to charge phones, flashlights, etc. Having a small solar panel will allow you to have more rechargeable things, like rechargeable batteries, rechargeable flashlights, and so on. You could also get solar flashlights that charge with the power of the sun right there on the flashlight. Solar options are a lot more affordable these days than they used to be even just a couple years ago. You could even look into solar to charge your freezer or fridge when the lights go out.

Heating and Cooling

Relying on heating and cooling options during an emergency or disaster are certainly a big concern. Here’s a great article about alternative heating options. I also have another article that talks about how to stay cool in extreme heat. You may have to completely rethink how you heat and cool your home, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. However, be prepared for it now.

Medical

Do you have any medical needs that rely on electricity? Such as a CPAP or other machine? Do you have backup batteries and could those be charged with a solar panel? In general, keep all medical supplies in an easily accessible spot, especially backups. If the lights go out, you don’t want to be fumbling around trying to find a life saving device.

Cooking

Regardless whether your home runs on electrical cooking or not, having alternative ways to cook is recommended. Fire, grill, rocket stove, camp stove using propane, buddy burner, etc. Have a few different ways to cook. Don’t forget about the fuel sources needed for these cooking methods. Whether it’s small twigs for a rocket stove or full on wood for a wood stove or propane for a camp stove; have plenty of those sources available and know when/if you could get more when you need it.

Hygiene

Many of us rely on a water heater to heat our water for cleaning and personal hygiene. Whether your heater runs on electricity or gas, understand that you may have to warm/boil water before hand. You could also look into solar heating options. As an aside, don’t forget that the water from your water heater is viable and can be removed in an emergency.

Entertainment

You may not think entertainment is a big deal, but it is, especially if you have kids. I have a whole list of entertainment options over here. In general, sometimes it’s as easy as simply reading aloud to everyone or preparing a skit for each other or even just hanging out in each other’s company and telling ghost stories. Board games, crafts and simply keeping busy around the house are always good options. You know your family best and their needs. A power outage doesn’t mean staring at the wall, in fact, it’s an opportunity to engage and get creative.

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People lived for thousands of years without electricity. We’re currently living completely on solar and even with our solar, not tied to the grid at all, we’re still prepared to one day be without that solar power.

There are lots of alternative electricity options outside of solar such as hydro and wind. However, we should also always be aware that things can go wrong and you may have to be without certain devices or your freezer or whatever else.

By being prepared, we can be ready for as many potential possibilities as we can think of. Even if you haven’t been faced with a power outage or it doesn’t happen often, that doesn’t mean it couldn’t. Be ready and be prepared so you can continue to live a semi-normal life even without electricity.