How are you preparing for gas shortages in the coming months?

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DeeKie

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There are stories about certain German cities turning off lights on public buildings and tourist sites, and forcing citizens to have cold showers in light of gas shortages that are coming down the tracks.

I know that Ireland has a different gas supply route, but it is likely that we will suffer gas / electricity shortages in the coming months, it would seem. How are you planning to prepare for these events? I am just thinking about my elderly parents and what I can do to prepare them for gas and electricity shortages. I’ve already got them a few torches and candles et cetera but I am sure I could do more.
 
DeeKie said:
German cities impose cold showers and turn off lights amid Russian gas crisis
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"Cities in Germany are switching off spotlights on public monuments, turning off fountains, and imposing cold showers on municipal swimming pools and sports halls"

"including turning off hot water in the showers and bathrooms of city-run buildings and leisure centres."

Nobody is forcing anybody to have cold showers....
 
I thought Ireland was currently exempt from the 15% reduction.

the headline in the Guardian article is a bit dramatic but when you read down through it, it mentions heating being turned off in municipal buildings which means no hot water (an issue I would have thought in the ongoing fight against Covid/viruses but thats another story). You can't force people to have cold showers in their homes without actually turning off the gas or power.

There is unrelated action underway already, lights in my street were replaced with energy savers a few months ago, lights at many motorway junctions are being removed for some other unknown and daft reason. Homeworking may also help, reduced demand for aircon and lights in buildings as an example

I guess there is a risk that we go back to something similar to what Britain had in the 70's with rolling blackouts but I expect for the most part, we'll get through this, unless we have a really bad winter.

And there is always turf if we are stuck.
 
If it did come to that, and I'm not saying it will ... I think my options are limited as I have a combi boiler...

So if the gas if off, no hot water... and can't even heat a tank during the periods gas is 'on'.
Heat I can supplement with plug in heaters I guess. I have no fire \ stove that could burn logs.
Also gas hob cooker.

If 'gas' is rationed to residential customers, it is rationed full stop. There'd be no way to limit it to just hot water and not heat.
Maybe there would be hours in which it would be off. Not sure if that's even feasible.
 
Our cooking is gas, our heating is gas, two gas fires. If the gas goes we will be plugging in whatever electrical apparatus we have to cook food.

Hot water bottles, double fleeces.......a bit like last winter really.
 
Not to be all Domesday (I should really wait until a Monday morning to post for full effect) but electricity generation is very dependent on gas.

www.seai.ie

Electricity

Modern societies are dependent on reliable and secure supplies of electricity. Electricity generation accounts for a third of all primary energy use in Ireland.
www.seai.ie www.seai.ie

"Natural gas is the largest source of electricity generated, accounting for 52% of all electricity generated in 2020"

It is a worst case scenario but it could get cold and dark together.... Well for some parts of Europe.
 
Back to the 80s, throw another coat on the bed if you are cold and ignore the ice on the inside of the windows !

Joking aside, Supply will be one thing, but the price will also help reduce demand, some people will struggle to afford it and almost all of us will be reducing usage to reduce the bull
 
skrooge said:
Not to be all Domesday (I should really wait until a Monday morning to post for full effect) but electricity generation is very dependent on gas.

www.seai.ie

Electricity

Modern societies are dependent on reliable and secure supplies of electricity. Electricity generation accounts for a third of all primary energy use in Ireland.
www.seai.ie www.seai.ie

"Natural gas is the largest source of electricity generated, accounting for 52% of all electricity generated in 2020"

It is a worst case scenario but it could get cold and dark together.... Well for some parts of Europe.
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You'll have gas since it originates mostly from North sea. However the price will be very expensive.

Have you considered a stove or solar panels to reduce your Mar-October use of elec and gas anyone ?
 
DeeKie said:
There are stories about certain German cities turning off lights on public buildings and tourist sites, and forcing citizens to have cold showers in light of gas shortages that are coming down the tracks.

I know that Ireland has a different gas supply route, but it is likely that we will suffer gas / electricity shortages in the coming months, it would seem. How are you planning to prepare for these events? I am just thinking about my elderly parents and what I can do to prepare them for gas and electricity shortages. I’ve already got them a few torches and candles et cetera but I am sure I could do more.
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Just is case, this is not in peoples houses. Question, how may hot showers have you been provide by the irish state or you local council?. I wager zero, whereas on continent these "benefits" of cheap municipal swimming pools and leisure centres are as common as your local dunnes stores.
 
Could be wrong on this but aren't there some apartment complexes, moreso on the continent than here, have a central thermostat for the building which can be set lower...
 
Kimmagegirl said:
Our cooking is gas, our heating is gas, two gas fires. If the gas goes we will be plugging in whatever electrical apparatus we have to cook food.

Hot water bottles, double fleeces.......a bit like last winter really.
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Regarding cooking, there's actually some really good plug-in induction hobs on the market now.

Hopefully it doesn't come to it, but that's what I'll be getting if the gas supply is limited in any way.
 
Containers of gas are readily available right now, the big one lasts us around 1 year so won't have a problem with that. However, are people ordering heating oil (Kerosene) at the moment for winter heating? It's just over €1300.00 for 1000 litres in our area right now and am wondering if it will go up much in price? It was €1400.00 for the same amount just a month ago.
 
odyssey06 said:
Could be wrong on this but aren't there some apartment complexes, moreso on the continent than here, have a central thermostat for the building which can be set lower...
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in the shared areas e.g. staircases, corridors yes, but not inside a persons appartment, they can do whatever they please. People on continent live in free democratic societies, by the way, its not just in jolly old Eire where a person can heat their homes to whatever they please ......
 
fidelcastro said:
in the shared areas e.g. staircases, corridors yes, but not inside a persons appartment, they can do whatever they please. People on continent live in free democratic societies, by the way, its not just in jolly old Eire where a person can heat their homes to whatever they please ......
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That's not true, many of the larger complexes use a district heating model that is centrally controlled. Germany have specific legislation in place governing the temperatures these must operate at within the living accommodation itself, with mandatory and significant rent reductions if targets are missed. There are discussions underway currently about reducing the minimum temperatures,
 
I got a fill of gas early this year, hasn't been used at all since other than for hob which isn't much, boiler is gas too. I usually use immersion to heat enough to wash dishes etc but it went 'bang' the other day so waiting on electrician to look at that. Have halogen oven and microwave if there was no gas hob working.

Thankfully I still have the dreaded open fire so assuming I can get some logs/coal can burn that if needed for a bit of heat.

The problem with solar panels and I'd love some but when I'd most like it in winter the sun ain't great, my roof is kind of facing sideways into the best sun too so I wouldn't get the full blast of it on either side of the roof each day.

I was actually going to buy a gas heater last year, the newer type fancy super ser that looks like stove, it would be handy in the kitchen in winter as I wouldn't have boiler on until evening so at the moment use oil filled radiator. The heater runs off one of the yellow tanks of gas, not sure whether that is a good plan or not at the moment! I didn't buy at the time as Calor just didn't answer my questions about it, simple enough question but never bothered to answer so I didn't bother to buy.
 
Leo said:
Using a kettle to heat water for dish washing would be more efficient.
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Well that is what I have to do now that the immersion is broke, it's nearly slower as I need two kettles full for a decent bit in sink and immersion would have heated that in less than 5 mins, I once timed it as someone else was complaining about how slow theirs is to heat! Whatever about cost it's a pain filling/boiling kettle twice, I'll be getting immersion fixed, it's one of those pringles tin sort of size ones attached to side of tank, not a small element in the tank itself. Think it was called an economiser at the time I put it in so probably not much worse than kettle.
 
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