Storms are increasingly becoming common problems for the Irish public to deal with throughout the winter months.
The last few years have brought all sorts of problems from floods and damage to power loss and more.
We can take preventative measures to deal with a lot of things but when the power goes out during a storm it’s Electric Ireland we must rely on to reconnect us.
There are some things you can do though before a storm hits to ensure you are prepared for a possible loss of electricity.
Here’s six of them to consider:
1. Charge your phones and laptop NOW
Got some work to do? You might want to charge up your laptop.
Plus your phone will come in handy to keep an eye on the Electric Ireland website for when power might be restored.
Power up as many gadgets as you can ahead of the bad weather.
2. Bring your pets inside
With wind speeds rising and the rain sweeping in, it's no weather for your beloved pets to sleep in their outdoor kennels.
Bring them inside as soon as you can to ensure they are not frightened of the terrifying conditions.
Plus if you have no electricity, you will have no outdoor lighting to find scared pets in the dark.
3. Have a shower
Does your home just have an electric shower? You don't want to head to work smelly tomorrow if your supply is lost and has not returned by the time you have to hit the office. So take a quick shower while you can!
4. Find some candles and a torch
Get organised now and don't be scrambling for the candles when the lights go out.
Leave them out in a safe and easily accessible area - along with some matches, kept out of reach of children.
Double check the batteries in the torch don't need to be changed and you're good to go.
5. Unplug appliances and turn off lights
Unplug additional appliances such as kettles and toasters, and turn off whatever lights were on so that the circuit is not overloaded when power is restored.
Leave one item such as a TV, radio or light on so that you will know when the electricity returns.
6. Keep the fridge door closed
Keep the door of your fridge closed as much as possible to retain cold in case the power goes.
Make your next meal out of everything that's most likely to go off quicker - so use up those perishables.
