Surviving when the power fails

Richard Cooney stocks up on half-price meat. Picture / Martin Sykes

Woken up to discover there is no Hi-5 to plonk the kids in front of, and no coffee to waken the spirit?

There is no phone and no stove to cook your porridge. Even escape is difficult because the petrol pumps aren't working.

A Google search on "living without electricity" reveals it need not be the end of the world. It also showed New Zealanders do not have the monopoly on the No 8 wire mentality.

In the US the websites of "homesteaders" - people living on ranches without electricity - such as Highlonesomeranch.com and Backwoodshome.com contain very handy tips, such as a recipe for roadkill stew, using your car as a fridge, making a solar cooker out of cardboard boxes, and toasting bread with a coffee can.

If the idea catches on, and you decide to make electricity-free life a permanent thing, just make like the Amish do.

Go to Amish store Lehman's to invest in the necessary accoutrements for life without power. Take the automatic stove selector test to find out which non-electricity stove will best suit you, buy a portable fridge, a wringer washing machine and a book called How to Live without Electricity and Like It.

Go to Better Budgeting.com to find out how to get the most light out of your candles.

Forget the banks' warnings not to put your money under the mattress. When the power is down, the banks cannot help you because the ATMs and eftpos machines are down as well.

An emergency stash of cash will save you from the temptation of looting.

Pack the freezer full, and put blankets on top of the food to keep the cold in.

In a blackout the tables will be turned on those laughing at grandma's old phone. Grandma will be able to ring her bowling club buddies on her non-electricity-reliant clunker, while those with modern portable models will be left holding a useless piece of plastic.

Dust off the old Monopoly set to entertain the children without television or computers and pull out the old fondue set to make the porridge if there are no other sources of cooking.


GET YOUR KIT TOGETHER

* Bottled water - three litres per person for at least three days.

* Food - canned and non-perishable.

* Powdered or longlife milk.

* A barbecue, gas cooker, at the very least a Primus.

* Spare warm clothes and sturdy shoes.

* Utensils, including a can opener.

* Torch.

* Spare batteries.

* Matches or lighter.

* Battery-powered radio.

* First aid kit and any prescription medications.

* Basic toiletries and disinfectant.

* Check all food at least yearly.