With cold temperatures and winter ice and snow on the horizon, now is a good time to think about protecting your family against power outages.
Putting together a collection of flashlights and other small appliances that can run on batteries is good advice for the short term, to help the family make it comfortably through seasonal storms.
Those with a longer-term view may want to consider that blackouts and brownouts could become more common in the future. That’s because America’s electrical grid has become increasingly fragile.
As our friend, author Jeff Yago, explains in his book Lights On: The Nontechnical Guide to Battery Power When the Grid Goes Down,
America’s electric grid is at greater risk today than ever before. From aging infrastructure, severe weather, and EPA mandates to solar storms, digital sabotage, and electromagnetic pulse attacks, future outages are almost certain. Most likely these power failures will last far longer and cover much larger areas than anything experienced in the past.
So, Jeff asks, “When the grid is down and you run out of fuel for your generator, and all the stores are closed, then what?”
Lights On offers the answer. And it’s much more than advice about keeping your flashlight batteries charged. Jeff’s book teachers readers how to replace grid-powered devices with battery-powered appliances to cover every basic need of a modern household:
- Communication
- Lighting
- Refrigeration
- Pumping water
- Cooking
- Bathing
- Medical needs
You may also be interested to see a review of the book written by the editor of a magazine for homesteaders:
Regular readers will know Jeff Yago has been a long-time contributor to Backwoods Home Magazine, and his latest book begins with a very eye-opening discussion of the many vulnerabilities now facing our nation’s electric grid, then covers the lost history of over 350,000 battery-powered homes that existed during the 1920’s and 30’s before the electric grid expanded westward.
He then devotes a separate chapter to each major appliance and electronic device found in your home, and discusses the many battery-powered replacements that will continue to work during an extended power outage. Mr. Yago makes it very clear that those relying solely on a backup generator for their preparedness planning must start thinking long-term regarding what to do once fuel is no longer available and the grid is still down.
This is a must have “how to” manual for keeping your electrical devices operating without the grid or a generator, and recommends many low-cost products you should start acquiring now while still available. From simple 12 volt DC lighting solutions, to powering refrigerators, cell phones, satellite TV and internet modems, GPS systems, laptop computers, medical devices, musical equipment, power tools, emergency communications, well pumps, portable showers, televisions, shortwave radios, truck campers, and even bug-out bags, it’s all covered.
Is Jeff qualified to give the best advice on how to prepare for a seasonal power outage or even an extended blackout? You bet.
One of the leading solar energy experts in the country, Jeff brings deep experience running battery back-up systems. His new book is intended for ordinary homeowners on how to use solar energy, battery-powered devices and other materials in case of power outages. This is the best book that we have seen on practical suggestions for preparedness.
With winter coming up, you owe it to your family to empower yourself with the knowledge to make your home prepared. And Lights On makes a great Christmas gift for the dad or mom as well as the husband or wife who’s responsible for keeping the home fires burning come what may.
I think this book will be especially helpful for a college student in his or her first apartment. For parents who want to help their kids stay safe even after they’ve moved away from home, Jeff’s book can offer some peace of mind.
Click here to get your copy of Lights On from Amazon.com.
— Andrew Brenner, Main Street Solar
