BBK Checklist in the event of a power outage: Precautions before a blackout

Cell phones, refrigerators, and heaters don’t work if the power goes out. That works for a few hours, but days or weeks? This is how you can prepare.

In everyday life, electricity is taken for granted. Only when he is gone do many realize how dependent they are on him. Even small events such as storms, floods or excessive snow masses can cause the electricity grid to be paralyzed. In order to cope well with this emergency situation, the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) recommends taking precautions.

When the power goes out, it’s completely dark at night, both inside and out: there are no streetlights or storefronts casting light through the windows. Prepare by stocking bulbs for indoor and outdoor use. Therefore, you can easily use candles, lanterns or lanterns for camping and outdoor use, such as battery-powered LED lights or kerosene lamps.

Most heaters need electricity to work. In the event of a power outage, it can get quite cold in the apartment in winter. On the other hand, if you have a fireplace or an oven, you can heat your rooms independently of electricity. However, retrofitting is not always possible. A mobile gas heater can be a solution. However, it should only be operated if proper safety precautions are observed, warns BBK. These include, for example, an ignition and oxygen deprivation safety device as well as a CO2 alarm in the room.