Blackout Advice - Just In Case

While Britain has a considerable gas supply in the North Sea, we lack space to store it as companies made the decision to close their storage facilities as it was cheaper to just import the extra gas during periods of demand than to pay to upkeep storage facilities which has backfired now that the cost of gas has increased and led to the National Grid warning that three-hour planned blackouts may have to be implemented this winter.
The Grid's Electricity Systems Operator (ESO) is hoping to avoid imposing blackouts but have worryingly released a statement of how they will work with the supply being cut for 3 hours either in the morning or between 4pm and 9pm on a rotation so not all areas of the country have their power cut at the same time and people will be warned the day before.
Charities have been offering advice of how to survive and the first piece advice is to not burn your house down by using candles and go for torches instead and recommend keeping battery-powered torches in an easy-to-find place.
Keep your phone charged because although WiFi will be cut off, you will still be able to access the internet, send messages and make calls using 4G and no electric means no TV or Radio but with a battery operated radio you can still listen to the local stations telling you how your electric has been cut off.
As the electric is to be switched off in 3 hour blocks, the English nightmare is 3 hours without a cup of tea but you can keep boiled water in flasks and drinking hot tea or coffee is a good way to keep warm as your heating will be off also.
Keep the freezer door shut as frozen food should easily last for the 3 hours with the doors kept closed, which means you shouldn't have to either throw away or cook a freezerful of meat once the lights come back on.
Fill up hot water bottles but if it gets too cold with no heating indoors, go sit in your car as it is a smaller space and will warm up quicker and if you leave a light switched on during the blackout, you will know when power is restored but make sure you turn off appliances like irons and electric fires.
Importantly, if you are vulnerable, of state pension age, disabled, are pregnant or have a child aged under five or have a medical condition which means your life literally depends on a machine being plugged in you can register with the Priority Services Register who will arrange for your service to continue with a backup energy supply so you are not put at risk.
The ESO have said that it is only a last resort but as they have gone from for information only and so negligible that it's not really worth mentioning to announcing how it will work if they have to do it to actually giving out the times it may happen then it might be prudent to stock up on hot water bottles and flasks, you know, just in case.