Looking for tips on how to prepare for a power breakdown? Read on to learn about all the essentials you may need in such an emergency situation.
Electricity is supplied to homes, offices, and other key facilities in different metropolitan areas across the country through a complex network of underground cables and overhead power lines, connected with regional or main power stations, also known as power plants.
From severe weather conditions and natural disasters to malfunctioning components in electricity grids and work related to infrastructure upgrades, major power outages could be caused by a number of factors and hit a certain region or city with little or no warning at all, leaving residents of a particular area without electricity for hours if not days.
In today’s world, people greatly rely on electricity to carry on with their day-to-day routine so it would surely be a good thing for you to keep yourself and your household necessarily prepared for prolonged power outages.
So, without further ado, let’s get the ball rolling!
5 Useful Tips to Prepare for a Major Power Breakdown
The five of the most useful tips to help you prepare yourself for a major electricity outage have been listed and discussed as under. Take a look!
- Invest in Power Banks and Portable Battery Chargers
- Buy Rechargeable Lights and Fans
- Keep Your Home Generator and UPS Properly Maintained
- Stock Up on Foods With Long Shelf Life
- Keep An Eye Out for Updates Regarding Power Lines Maintenance and Infrastructural Upgrade
Invest in Power Banks and Other Types of Portable Battery Chargers
Power banks and portable battery charges may come in handy if you are facing a prolonged power outage in your area. This is why it is important to always have them with you whether at home or work. There are many different types of power banks having a capacity of up to 20,000mAh, which can charge your phone multiple times depending on the size of its battery.
Similarly, there are portable battery chargers available for laptops, which are specifically useful for people who are working from home these days. Having their laptops batteries sufficiently charged, they can continue working if they are facing a prolonged power outage in their area.
Tip to Remember: Unlike power banks, portable laptop battery chargers may not be compatible to work with every laptop. So, make sure you’re picking the right one for your device.
Buy Rechargeable Lights and Fans
Investing in rechargeable lights and fans is one of the most important tips on how to prepare for a major power breakdown. There is a wide variety of emergency lights available these days, mainly categorised into two types: rechargeable and battery-powered ones. Both of the options are reliable but rechargeable ones are considered more cost-effective as they can be easily recharged instead of buying new batteries every time.
Rechargeable fans have also become very popular these days. They can keep you cool for hours without electricity. Offering incredible portability and long-lasting battery life, rechargeable fans are also available in many different shapes and sizes these days.
Make sure you keep all these portable and rechargeable electric appliances sufficiently charged all the time so they can be used when the power goes out.
Keep Your Home Generator and UPS Properly Maintained
Whether you have a home generator or UPS, it is important for you to keep your power backup device properly maintained. For instance, your generator may need tuning, service, and other types of maintenance work every now and then.
Also, you should be getting it inspected by an expert once in a while to spot any faults and get them timely fixed. If it runs on natural gas, then you’re all good but if it is powered by diesel or gasoline, stock up on extra fuel supplies when preparing for a major power outage.
Similarly, if you are using UPS for a power backup system in your home, it may require less maintenance as compared to a generator. You just need to make sure that the battery of your UPS has enough fluids. Keep extra bottles of pure deionised distilled battery water, in case you need to get the fluid in your battery refilled. Like a power generator, you should get your UPS inspected by an expert electrician every now and then.
Stock Up on Food Supplies That Have Long Shelf Life
You could not count on the food items that you have kept in your fridge or freezer if the electricity is out in your area for hours. If they cannot survive at room temperature, they could possibly go stale. This is why stocking up on food supplies that have a long shelf life is one of the most useful tips to prepare for a major power breakdown.
So, fill up your pantry with potatoes, onions, dried fruits and nuts, fresh fruits like apples, bananas, sweet lemons, oranges, whichever of them is in season. Use powdered milk instead of fresh milk because the former has a longer shelf life than the latter.
You can also munch on snacks like potato crisps and different types of nimco items if you are feeling hungry and you don’t want to open your fridge or freezer, again and again, to retain its cooling for an extended time. Most of the food items that we have mentioned above can survive for days without refrigeration and this makes them a perfect fit for power outage emergencies.
Stay Updated With Any Upcoming Power lines Maintenance Activity in Your Area
If you are aware of any upcoming maintenance or infrastructural upgrade activities related to the power lines or Pole-mount Transformers (PMTs), it would give you ample time to prepare for it.
If you think you don’t have sufficient supplies for a prolonged electricity breakdown, you can always rush to the nearest market to stock up on necessary items. Otherwise, you can always plan to spend your day out, maybe pay a visit to any of your family members, relatives, or friends to avoid staying at home without electricity the entire day.
There you have it — the five of the most useful tips on how to prepare for a major power breakdown. We hope the information we have shared above will help you keep yourself and your home well-equipped to face and survive prolonged power outages. In case you have been in a similar situation and want to share any useful information with us on the subject, please email us at blog@zameen.com. We’d love to hear from you.
On a side note, if you are planning to make your home energy-efficient to reduce electricity bills, then take a look at this blog for some useful tips.
If you want to read the most informative lifestyle guides and best real estate blogs in Pakistan, visit Zameen Blog. Stay updated with all our latest posts by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on Facebook.
