Blackout or not: You should have this emergency supply at home

Germany will probably face a few difficult months again.

Blackout or not: You should have this emergency supply at home

Germany will probably face a few difficult months again. This time there is concern about an adequate energy supply. Which is not a foregone conclusion. Nevertheless, goods from the emergency list of the Federal Office for Disaster Control should always be in every household. Here is the list.

A life without a crisis seems unthinkable at the moment. What was previously known has lost its naturalness. At least when it comes to the part of existence that comes through the socket or the radiator. Let's stick to the stream.

There are repeated warnings of the danger of a blackout, most recently by the German Association of Towns and Municipalities. According to this, both hostile hacker attacks and an overload of the power grid due to the commissioning of the 650,000 fan heaters sold this year could cause widespread power failures. Should this be the case, which should not be forecast at this point, little would actually work. Chancellor Scholz, on the other hand, sees the country as well prepared, since the possibility has been created of keeping two nuclear power plants in an emergency reserve over the turn of the year "so that there is never a power shortage in Germany".

Energy expert Christoph Maurer also sees concerns about a blackout as largely scaremongering. However, he also emphasized in an interview with ntv.de that he considers a so-called rotating shutdown of the power supply to be possible. Certain parts of the load are disconnected from the system for certain periods of time. This is unpleasant for consumers - but it is something very different than an unplanned large-scale, system-wide blackout.

It is therefore important to hope for the best and, above all, to save energy where possible. But that also includes, for God's sake, not turning on the newly acquired fan heater if possible. And especially not all at once. Thanks in advance.

Quite apart from that, the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance generally advises preparing for crises and disasters. This also includes creating an emergency supply - for about ten days. No matter what crisis makes the food or drinking water supply difficult or impossible. A food and drink supply helps to bridge the time until the state aid starts.

It is also possible to ask relatives, acquaintances or neighbors to buy something; but having a supply in the house gives security first of all. A supply can also be helpful in the event of a severe storm, flooding, extreme heat or heavy snowfall and ice, as it may not be possible to leave the house.

Here is the list from the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance with things that you should always have on hand at home:

Example of a basic ten-day supply of food and drink for one person:

This supply corresponds to about 2200 kilocalories per day and thus usually covers the total energy requirement.

In addition, the following things should always be in the house for possible emergencies:

Medical supplies:

drugstore items:

Miscellaneous:

It makes sense to add a power bank to the list. Because if the battery of a smartphone is empty, communication and information falls flat. With a capacity of 10,000 mAh, the battery packs are available for around 10 euros. This means that almost every smartphone can be fully charged at least twice. So please have it up your sleeve. If you want to be more precise, you can find more competent advice here.

Finally, a gentle admonition: Despite all the adversities you want to be prepared for, there is no reason to panic or panic buy. Please think not only of your own needs, but also of those of your fellow human beings. There should be something left for them too. Every pack of noodles and toilet paper that is grabbed on the side increases the feeling that others also have to replenish their stocks. Which then leads to what is known as a buying panic, leaving simply nothing for some. So please let it be. Thanks again!

(This article was first published on Monday, September 12, 2022.)