Power outages are not a common occurrence in developed countries, but we have seen how they can occasionally happen due to severe weather or freak accidents. If you rely heavily on consistent power for your work or business for example, then you will want to make sure you have backup solutions available if ever there is an outage. Below are some steps on how to prepare for a power outage.
1) Buy a portable powerbank and keep it fully charged
A powerbank is pretty much an external battery pack that can power small devices such as phones, tablets and laptops, without the need to be connected to a main power source. Most of those available on the market are very portable and can fit easily in your bag and give you multiple full charges on your device. Bigger devices such as laptops may require bigger powerbanks, which are slightly bulky but can charge laptops such as the Macbook Air multiple times, as well as smaller devices. Keeping one fully charged at all times will ensure you can get a good day or two of work done even without power.
2) Buy a portable pocket wifi
If you don?t want to rely on your mobile hotspot, invest in a dedicated portable wifi that runs off data from a sim card. Home or office wifi routers need to be plugged into mains power but a pocket wifi has an internal battery that can be recharged and lasts the whole day. These are great for being able to work remotely regardless of your power situation and they tend to have more powerful antennas than your mobile phone, allowing you to get better signal and not draining your phone?s battery.
3) Have a list of local workspaces
If you are not able to work at home or the office and need a stable power connection, consider working at a coworking space. These are dedicated workspaces you can just rent a desk or a room with all the amenities already included such as wifi, power and coffee to power you through the day. Have a list of those places nearest to you and a link to their online room booking system so you can book at short notice. These spaces usually have access to a generator, meaning that they can provide power independently of the national grid.
4) Have emergency lights ready
Emergency lights are those that are left plugged in, usually on the upper part of a wall, and if there is a power outage they immediately turn on. These are very useful and can provide a guiding light in communal spaces such as hallways, entrances and exits. Keeping them plugged in means they will be fully charged for whenever they are needed, while they are also pretty portable and can be taken down and moved to wherever they are needed.