Electricity - Weapon Against the People?

[smegballs]

Yesterday a breaker went down in our fuse box that disable electricty to the kitchen in my student house. After being assured that the main breakers were all ok, I decided to check for myself and fixed it in minutes.

I thought of this though, in our house all the cooking appliances are electric and the gas boiler has electric control systems that shut down in case of electricity failure too. So take out power to our house and we suddenly have no facility to cook food or heat our house.

There must be plenty of houses in this country in a similar situation so if electricity could be selectively disrupted it would form a good weapon against civilians.

Take a city that is rioting, the whole place is up in arms and the police have withdrawn and the town blockaded. All the government have to do is cut off leccy to basically have a strangle hold over the town... Obviously the leccy companies are private companies etc etc but I'm positive theres a nice bit of terrorism legislation to be able to assume command of the electricity distribution....

Is this another reason to cook with (calor) gas??

[Kickstart]

Hi

Just the effects of a massive level of risk aversion. Hence all the safety cutouts to prevent gas build ups.

Just like cars and bikes (and pretty much everything else), if gas cooking was invented today it would be banned.

You can easily keep a camping stove and a few small gas bottles for it if you want (or an open fire).

[The Shaggy D.A.]

I think there's a higher chance of the gas going first, but yes, everybody should have some means of heating, cooking and lighting that isn't dependant on "the grid". Just the ability to boil enough water for a cuppa avoids complete misery.
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[Feasty]

Just keep a generator and a decent safe store of fuel hidden away until the day it all gets cut off... of course then you'll have everyone coming round to kill you and steal it so there wouldn't be much point anyway!
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[smegballs]

[Tonka]

I've lived in the sticks for a number of years and used to find the electricity going kaput quite often in a bad winter, so always had alternative arrangements - wood burners and plenty of wood seems to be the only option that is fool proof. Many gas appliances and heating require electric in some guise, so not always a good alternative.

Personally I'd be much more concerned if the water supply was damaged/limited/contaminated, as there is little safe alternative - sterilising tablets, heating would just get you by depending. Nearest well or water source is at least half a mile away from me, which isn't the end of the world compared with some folk.
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[iooi]

You have also forgotton that most of the country requires power to pump the water......

So major power outages leads to total fun....

I guess very few will remember the rolling power cuts we had back in the last 60's early 70's.

Oh the joy of playing board games to candle light.
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[ms51ves3]

[Kickstart]

[Itchy]

Less of a weapon it just shows how incredibly dependent people here are on the centralised networks...

Although New York power cuts shows that there is some sort of goodwill but only for a while, our generation is unused to not having things, and thus 3-6 missed meals later, with all the fooktards about they will decide to TAKE from those who do have stuff using violence..


Of course if you have prepared adequately then you will do well so when the 'tards come for you, you will suddenly have a large supply of human meat to tide you by.
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[The Shaggy D.A.]

[Dom_]

99% of gas cookers will work with no electricity. The reason a boiler won't work is because the pumps, solenoids, sensors and fans all require electricity to operate (obviously.)

[Kickstart]

[mistergixer]

[Dom_]

[owdamer]

You need a cobb.

https://www.kitchencritic.co.uk/upload/2008/07/cobb-grill.jpg

[neatbik]

Whilst we are on the subject, does anyone here have a stockpile of 'survival' equipment i.e camping gas/stove, tins of baked beans and a big gun?
Or am i the only one..?

[Kickstart]

[Itchy]

[Dom_]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Rangemaster 110, although it does now appear to work with the power off. Strange as I am sure it did when the little box of tricks failed a few years back (combined cutoff to cut the gas when you try and put the lid down when it is still on).

EDIT - Just had more of a look. No power means it cuts off the gas supply to the oven. Looking about it seems this comes under a "flame supervision device" which became compulsory about 25 years ago for ovens. Looks like the same rules were extended to cookers for use in "shared accomodation" last year.

All the best

Keith
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[smegballs]

[Dom_]

Yeah, that's just a safety valve to stop your lid shattering if it closed on a lit flame.

[Kickstart]

[Dom_]