Even if there will be no light for a long time, you can prepare for such a development to ensure your own survival as much as possible. channel 24 has prepared tips on how to set up a smartphone, what equipment to buy and what to own so that power outages have minimal impact on your quality of life.

emergency kit

First of all, you should always have a ready kit in case of an emergency. If the light suddenly goes out, it should be in an accessible place so that there is no need to search in the dark.

It should include:

• Flashlight,
• batteries,
• compact radio receiver,
• cash,
• first aid equipment.

We recommend that you buy a push-button phone, charge it, turn it off and put it in the set. You may need it later if there will be no light for a long time. It should be remembered and turned on and charged at least once every 2-3 weeks.

Important rules to follow

• In case of sudden power cuts, you should make sure that all the equipment you plan to use or need is in one place.
• Get a few flashlights, spare batteries for them, and put them in every room for easy access when you need them.
• Make sure your smartphones and spare batteries are always charged. The same applies to laptops, tablets and other equipment powered by batteries or accumulators.
• When the light suddenly disappears, it is worth turning off all the devices in the house or apartment from the sockets. Most often, turning on electricity is accompanied by a voltage surge, which can disable some devices. (To be careful! This rule also applies to the refrigerator).
• Consider installing network filters.
• Buy ice cubes, fill them and put them in the freezer (if the light does not go out for a long time, it may be necessary to keep the temperature in the refrigerator compartment low.
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Most foods that require refrigeration can be safely stored in a closed refrigerator for several hours. In an unopened refrigerator, the products will be kept cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will maintain the temperature for about 48 hours.
• Use flashlights for emergency lighting, candles and gas lamps can cause a fire.
• Leave a light switch on in one of the rooms to know when the power will come back.
• If it’s cold outside, wear several layers of thick clothing.
• Never use the oven as a heat source. If the electricity will be out for an extended period of time, plan to move to another location.
• Avoid unnecessary trips, especially by car. Traffic lights will not work and roads will be blocked.
• Use products that do not require refrigeration.
• Do not use the elevators.
• Check with your neighbors, they may need your help especially if they are old.
• If necessary, go to a public place with electricity and heating.
• Throw away food products and medicines if the storage temperature regime is violated.

Alternative energy sources

Make sure you have alternative ways to charge your phone or any power-hungry device. A solar powered radio/flashlight/charger is a good alternative to battery powered chargers.

If you don’t have a power bank, we suggest you buy one and keep it charged all the time. You will definitely need it in the event of a power outage, so it is better to choose a model with a large battery or even consider a bulky backup battery that can charge several devices at once.

If you live in a detached house, you should consider buying a generator. However, remember that it should never be used indoors. It is also not recommended to connect the house to the electrical network, it is better to use a powerful carrier and connect it directly to the generator.

How to prepare for a smartphone outage

With the right settings, your smartphone can last without charging for a few days. When setting up your smartphone, remember: this is your emergency communication path, so it is better to turn off all unnecessary functions that drain the battery.

We also recommend switching to energy-saving mode or turning on the “Ultra Economy” mode, which is available on some smartphone models. It’s designed for just such situations and essentially turns a smartphone into a good old phone that can only make calls and send SMS.

What equipment to buy

We mentioned earlier that you need flashlights, batteries and accumulators. This technology is never too much, especially when it comes to replaceable batteries.

However, in case of prolonged outages, it’s worth stocking up on other equipment to help you stay in touch and monitor events. We are talking about an ordinary radio receiver that used to be in every home. Today, this device is not very common, but very necessary in today’s realities, so we advise you to buy it or find a working old receiver.

If you live in the city, all you need is a small, portable, battery-powered FM receiver. It will help you to keep track of events in case of communication problems that often occur during power outages these days.

If you live outside the city, you will need a more powerful battery powered stationary receiver.

Possible communication problems and solutions

As we mentioned above, the probability of problems with mobile communication during long-term power outages is extremely high. So you have to make sure you are ready for it.

Radio can give you access to information. This is how you will know about the retreat or the beginning of a weather alert and other important news.

In addition, the absence of a network signal does not necessarily mean the lack of the ability to communicate with other people. If you live in an apartment, you can use offline messengers that work via Bluetooth to communicate with your neighbors. You can agree on their use in advance.

You can also try connecting to another carrier’s network. This is fairly easy to do, as national roaming in Ukraine is now completely free. Simply change the network selection from automatic to manual and select “Kyivstar”, Vodafone or lifecell network.

On Android:

• “Settings”,
• “mobile network”,
• “Network”.

on iPhone:

• “Options”,
• “Cellular data”,
• “Network selection”.

Next, you need to find available networks and select any of them. To use the Internet in this mode, the “Data transfer during roaming” option must be active.

Conclusion

Whatever the case, you can stay calm if you are prepared. We hope these simple rules and tips will help you prepare for an emergency. We also wish that you would never need them, but being in the neighborhood of a terror country leaves us no choice but to always be ready.