We had to abandon ship last night and stay with my parents cos we had a power cut which lasted from 9am yesterday to 6am today (judging back the time on the microwave when we got back just now!).

So we were just wondering... what happens in Canada in winter if there's a power cut? It was bad enough here in the UK in October (no heating, no lights, no tv / radio, no lullaby from the baby monitor to get our baby to sleep (Sean had to sing ), no cuppa (hob is electric, although dad did suggest we heat some water on the bbq ), but what if you're in Canada and it's -30??

I'd assume it's impossible for electric companies to guarantee there won't be any power cuts, and the average family surely can't afford a generator 'just incase', so how does it work and how do you cope?

Anita (about to make up for lost time on Guitar Hero )

Anita

We lived in rural Ontario and with overhead power lines on telegraph poles we lost power a lot more than living in rural Suffolk. Ice storms/ blizzards.

At -30C our old farmhouse went down to 5C by the morning the first time we had a power cut. I brought the kids downstairs into the living room and brought in the BBQ in doors to heat water(melt snow) and put heat in the house.
We installed a wood stove after our first winter in Ontario which would keep the house at 16C at -30C. Its a good idea to have back up heating i.e gas fire or wood stove.

Many of my work colleges had generators in both rural and in town as well.

If you have a wooden house it much better insulated and does not cool as quickly as a brick house.

By the way my son playing Guitar Hero at the moment.

hudd

having already had power cuts in nova scotia i would say its definitly much easier to cope with here than it ever was in the uk
for a start with a woodburner you still have heat and somehwere to cook

its all about preparation wind up torches, wind up raidio etc plenty of soup etc in stock plus some cash and gas in tank as no atm,s and gas stations wont be open

here its actually good fun having folk round or going over to friends to play cards cook soup on the woodburner etc

all part of lifes new great adeventure

its not that many years ago that they had electricity anyway where we are

also the power cuts are not just a few hours they can be days and even weeks

as with all things its not what happens its how you react

so peaceful with no husbands deafening electric guitar no tv etc bliss!!

in the uk i would be raging after 10 minutes without power
here I actually enjoy it
yes perhaps Ive lost the plot

Here in the City if its localised they bring in school buses for people to shelter in. Never had a really long one, but I imagine they would open up community centers in areas not affected.

Most big cities (at least here in Southern Ontario) heating is by Gas Furnace - lots of home have wood burning fireplaces as well - electric heating is expensive so its less common to see it. In winter because there is no need for air conditioning theres less strain on the grid - i'd be more worried about a long power outage on very humid days (but then we could always retreat to the the basement)

If you and your home are really dependant on electricity then you can get a generator installed which will cover the basics (freezer, some lighting etc) for around $600. It will then cost about $1000 to have it properly installed. Not exactly cheap but if you are really worried it may be an expense that you want to prioritize.

I think most people would advise you not to do this - slightly dangerous methinks.

Zoe M. x

And yet of all the people who have posted monthly heating costs, I recall only one who has quoted lower than us - and he was all electric too.

Wood may be the cheapest but there's been so much variation in prices quoted (100%) that it's hard to tell. And, of course, lighting, cooking, hot water and air con costs need to be added to get the full picture.

We have heat pump/air con...everything is electricity. Equalised is about $260 and I think it's a lot....except people quote monthly plans for oil exceeding that, just for heating.

We have a wood stove as a heat source if needed. I don't know what it's like for heating a pan or kettle on the plate.

For Montreal's ice storm - before my time - my wife and the kids and others in the neighbourhood were put up at a college when the power was out.

Never had one in Winnipeg but had lots here in LaSalle (whilst Windsor has been powered-on - longest was maybe about 3 or 4hrs). I don't understand sparky stuff but the grid here certainly does seem to be a bit crap.

electric heating is not common at all in Southern Ontario (golden Horseshoe) - unless its an older building .

It's a lot more than slightly dangerous. BBQs are meant to be used outside. They emit noxious gases that are fine in the open air, but that can kill a family in a few minutes in an enclosed space.

As many others have said, very few houses use electricity as a source of heat. Power cuts are boring (or peaceful) but warm.

However, a gas furnace may well not operate without electricity. Our house has a high-efficiency furnace that requires electricity to light the gas rather than using a pilot light.

How economical it is to heat the house depends upon much more than the type of fuel. That is what makes it hard to compare one house with another. If your house is well insulated, draft free, has plent of south facing windows and few north facing ones it will be better whatever your fuel.

Quite a few folks in our area have gennies, from 3.5kw up to 30kw. Ours cuts in with an auto transfer switch and runs on natural gas. If the power goes, which it can do more from fall to spring then everything keeps running. As I am away a lot, this minimises any worry for the family having to sort things out. The most they have to do is reset the clocks.

Rural BC has mostly overhead power lines, very susceptible to wind damage and power outages.

Zoe

I did have a carbon monoxide detector in the house(battery operated).
I agree is not good to bring a BBQ into the house. The issue I had 2 young sons aged 3 and 5. I would not wanted them to freeze at that time.

Living in England, you can survive a winter power cut. Losing power for several hours or even days in a Canadian winter can be life threatening.

I on a couple of ocassions I take my family into our Ford Windstar and run the engine to keep them warm.

hudd