I live in Kyiv, Ukraine so I guessed telling about my personal experience with the blackouts might be interesting to people!
In autumn russia began targeting our power plants during air raids to create a humanitarian disaster in Kyiv, region around the city and many many other big cities and towns in Ukraine. Along with electricity they planned to destroy our water systems and central heating, so that they could sway civilians to despair. If you can't win the war on the frontline, target the people in the back.
So since autumn there have been scheduled blackouts in my city and many cities all over Ukraine. In Kyiv that meant all buildings were separated in 12 groups and each group had its time with and without electricity. Good weather and less attacks meant more electricity, cold and air raids meant less electricity.
Since the temperatures dropped to -20°C russians began attacking the power plants even more. Since early January there's over 4000 buildings in my city without central heating. That means freezing temperatures inside apartments. Our workers are fixing the power plants in record times but it's hard work bordering on overworking.
Then there's the electricity. The situation is so bad, there are no more schedules for it, and we get electricity when there's the least amount of demand for it. That means that we get it at 12 am and it dissappears at 8 am, and there's little you can predict about it.
Our oven only works from electricity, so there's no cooking unless at nighttime. Our warm water is broken too, and nobody is really rushing to fix it (understandably, there are buildings without water at all) and so not-freezing-cold water is only available from an electric boiler.
But good news, my family bought an ecoflow (a huge expensive battery) and it powers our light and wifi! You can see our apartment from outside when there's a blackout, since we're one of the only windows still bright. The battery charges from the main powergrid and then pours the electricity back into it when we turn it on. Sometimes we even turn on the kettle or the microwave with it's power!
Among those things you get used to when the electricity is back on is preparing some boiling water to pour into thermoses, charging the ecoflow battery and cooking whatever is urgently needed. Then you get to do what elsetime would take the precious electricity from your battery: using the pc, charging the less important devices etc. You can even use the elevators!
We're lucky enough to have a pretty good central heating situation! Sure, you don't want to get out from your blankets, but it's still warm enough to only need one sweater. My cousin had no electricity, water nor central heating before the city got to fixing her building. My friend has the same situation with electricity as us, but his ecoflow is weaker.
Our universities sent the students back to their homes (or the dorm if it's any better) so that they could get a better chance with finding electricity to study. I don't even want to think about my thesis. I'll do it when the power gets better, yeah. Definitely not procrastinating.
The city is dark. I thought I could snap a picture but it would be hard to understand what is what in the darkness. There are no street lights working, and the buildings are dark too. The only light you can see comes from cars, flashlights the people are carrying, and from stores that have manual electricity generators. Those are very loud too, you can barely hear a thing while passing by them.
Our neighbor ran out of power and asked in the group chat for some help. We gave her our powerbank and she told us to call her up if we ever need some gas cans for a gas stove. Yay community!
People are allowed to go outside during curfew to get to a city confirmed location with electricity to charge their devices or to warm up a bit. Those are called "the unbreakable points", pretty cool, right? But most people charge up or work with their laptops at the local cafes. Just buy some food and enjoy the complimentary electricity!
I may be forgetting something else but that's okay. Please reblog to spread awareness! And for the last part, here's a picture of our dog with his personal flashlight! He's afraid of the dark stairs we have to climb without electricity, so we got him one to feel less scared! It's strapped to his neck like a collar and turns him into the most adorable horror game protagonist during walks!
