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Take these steps to anticipate power outages
If you’re in a place affected by a blackout, these are steps to take to prepare for such a situation.
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Saving water and smartphone batteries are two things people can do during a power outage. (Shutterstock/Volker Rauch)
M
ajor blackouts hit the Greater Jakarta and West Java on Sunday afternoon and disrupted thousands of homes and public facilities.
Although the state electricity company PLN predicted that the power supply would be restored by 7:27 p.m. on Sunday, outages persisted in different areas on Monday morning, according to kompas.com.
If you’re in a place that may be affected by another blackout, these are steps to take to prepare for such situation:
Save water
On Sunday, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan gave five suggestions for what people should do during a blackout and one of them was to use water wisely.
When electricity is available in your houses, take the opportunity to fill water containers for drinking, cooking and showering in case the outage returns.
Save smartphone batteries
It may be tempting to play some games or watch videos on your smartphone when the lights are off, but the best advice is to stop draining your smartphone battery as the device would be necessary in case of emergencies. You may use a portable power charger or extend battery life by temporarily turning on the airplane mode and switching off GPS and Bluetooth.
Read also: Seven mundane things that drain your phone battery
Use additional lights
Candles are often used during blackouts, but always remember to keep them away from children and blow them out when you’re about to sleep as candles can fall over, thus causing fires. Using an LED or a rechargeable emergency light is a safer alternative, according to rd.com.
Ask for help
In emergency situations, you may need to contact the call centers of Jakarta Siaga (Jakarta Alert) at 112 and/or Tangerang Siaga (Tangerang Alert) at 112. However, if the outage occurs when you’re using public transportation, such as the MRT, Transjakarta or commuter line, it is best to stay calm and wait for the staff to disembark all of the passengers.
Last but not least, you may only want to drive in and out of town if it is really necessary, as traffic lights could also be disrupted by the blackout. (wir/mut)
