Although we have has some amazingly mild days here in January in Pennsylvania, the weather is once again turning cold and blustery. Power outages are almost inevitable before the winter season is over.
Last year, we moved in to our new home at the end of March. Within a week and a half, we had a freak snow and ice storm that knocked the power out. Needless to say that we were unprepared. Still, we found some interesting solutions, born of necessity. Keep these in mind in case you ever lose power to your home and find that you aren’t prepared.
If you find yourself in the middle of a loss of power and can’t find the flashlight or candles, take advantage of any solar lighting that you might have outside. Solar lights can be easily pulled up from the ground. Place one light in each room. While you may not be able to easily read from the light, it will allow you to navigate through your home. The solar lights should last throughout the night.
If your water supply depends on your electricity, such as with a well system, find alternate sources of water for flushing the toilets and washing up. Grab a bucket of snow, scoop out a puddle, use bath water, or use water from a nearby creek or pond. While I wouldn’t advise drinking found water, being able to flush the toilets or wash your hands is always nice to do.
If the road conditions are not dangerous, drive to a warm public place, such as a mall, a restaurant, a movie theater, an indoor playground, etc. Not only will you be warm, but the environment may offer a distraction from the stress of being without power. Who knows? Your power may even be restored when you get back home.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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