# Preparing for the Power Outages



## jemiljan

Here in Maadi, the power outages seem to already be as bad as they were last summer.
So, I'm now trying to purchase everything I need to prepare for extended outages, but wonder if anyone here can recommend some specific products and vendors?

Rechargeable LED lanterns and flashlights. Preferably with a good, long-lasting lilon battery. 

UPS system- any recommendations on a reliable model? I have never used one before.

Solar panel chargers? Does anyone know if there are any if portable, foldable photovoltaic chargers are sold here domestically? With the drop in PV prices in recent years and our reliable sun, why not? I know there are models in the US and Europe that will keep a refrigerator running. 

Battery-powered fans?

Large rechargeable batteries? 

I can't use a generator in my apartment, as I don't have the space or a reasonable balcony, but I suppose that others would, so it's good info to have on file.


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## MaidenScotland

You can purchase large lights from Carrefour.. I just leave mine plugged in and when the power shortages come they automatically switch on.. I think I paid about 75 pounds a few years ago for mine and I have seen them used in clubs for security lightening on stairs in the event of a power cut.

I am not sure about anything else but what about looking for solar lamps the type they use in the garden.


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## Sonrisa

i have candles...Lots of them. A particularly huge one lights up the whole room


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## canuck2010

I have a little light on my cellphone.


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## jemiljan

I like candles, but in the summer heat, they can really heat things up. LED lights are a far more comfortable alternative, as they are bright enough that I can manage to do a little cooking...


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## tracyc11

These power cuts are seriously ridiculous already. Every other night- and sometimes every night - and an hour or more at a time. Bloody stupid. Might as well just sit out on the balcony with a vino .....


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## expatagogo

tracyc11 said:


> These power cuts are seriously ridiculous already. Every other night- and sometimes every night - and an hour or more at a time. Bloody stupid. Might as well just sit out on the balcony with a vino .....


In my neck of the woods they usually do it right at the last call to pray.

That will make for a mighty fine Ramadan.


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## hurghadapat

expatagogo said:


> In my neck of the woods they usually do it right at the last call to pray.
> 
> That will make for a mighty fine Ramadan.[/QUO
> 
> 
> and here's the reason :-
> 
> 
> Saudi Gazette - Egypt short of money to fuel power stations: ministry


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## tracyc11

Yes- in general the country is bust! In many aspects! And yes it is at the last call to prayer- but funny enough- I'm sat here in the dark but there's plenty of power to blast out the call......


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## expatagogo

tracyc11 said:


> Yes- in general the country is bust! In many aspects! And yes it is at the last call to prayer- but funny enough- I'm sat here in the dark but there's plenty of power to blast out the call......


I accidently moved into a flat right next door to a mosque with super sized cheap speakers and someone who groans out the Koran most of the day (really, it sounds like groaning). Not gonna lie, I grin when the power shuts off in the middle of it.

Seriously, though, I do worry how people will cope during Ramadan. 

Perhaps the government would be smarter to get out of the electricity business, sell the mess they have to a private company, and be done with it. As it is, a good deal of the electricity is stolen, anyway. A private company would sort that out straight away, then everyone would pay for what they use, not what the neighbors take, or what the nearby construction project swipes.


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## expatagogo

hurghadapat said:


> and here's the reason :-
> 
> 
> Saudi Gazette - Egypt short of money to fuel power stations: ministry


Perhaps the government should get to cutting its own, bloated spending. I know, I know, government employees work for 120 LE a month and all of the baksheesh they can manage, right? Not really. 

The perks are tremendous - a pretty much guaranteed job for life, in some positions the ability to give your job to your son, bonuses, Eid money (for each Eid), profit sharing, subsidized trips to Saudi for pilgrimages, the list goes on. A large part of the problem is those government employees aren't willing to sacrifice, even a little bit, for the greater good. It's that Nasser, socialist "the government owes me" mentality at play.

The trouble is the government doesn't have anymore to give. The well is dry.


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## jemiljan

I found an kind of rechargeable LED light strip that is very bright at Metro for nearly 250 LE, and then a very similar one at Moody's on Rd. 9 for 105. Bought the latter, and it definitely lights up the kitchen. Think I'll go back and get a couple more, though I'd love to find a table-top lantern that isn't so blinding.


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## jemiljan

I spoke too soon. Just now I found an online vendor selling both lamps and a small solar panel that is supposedly good for charging a phone.

Solar charger energy in Egypt | Souq
http://egypt.souq.com/eg-en/portable-power-charger-for-any-mobile-tablet-device-5045446/i/
http://egypt.souq.com/eg-en/mini-solar-charger-for-iphone-ipod-4857783/i/
http://egypt.souq.com/eg-en/mobile-charger-with-solar-energy-4979237/i/

a battery-powered 'candle':
Magic LED Candle in Egypt | Souq

They have a couple larger solar panels as well:
http://egypt.souq.com/eg-en/20w-crystalline-solar-panel-لوحة-شمسية-20-وات-4894730/i/

http://egypt.souq.com/eg-en/100w-crystalline-solar-panel-لوحة-شمسية-100-وات-4902699/i/

Of course for those, you'd have to buy a good battery and plug interface to use with a fan (my ultimate goal).

They sell similar light strips to the one I bought with 90 LED lamps for 120, so it is a little cheaper from Moody's.

Has anyone here ever ordered anything from souq.com ?


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## jemiljan

One more thing, a friend said that it is a really good idea to keep your freezer filled up as much as possible with water bottles. This way, if the power goes out, the freezer stays cold, keeping your fridge cool, thereby reducing the risk of food spoilage. It also generally reduces power consumption, as the internal thermostat doesn't go off as much (as long as you don't keep opening the door all of the time).

The Straight Dope: Does a refrigerator cool more efficiently when full?


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## aykalam

Cairo airport "doing their bit" to save power: 

Cairo international airport will close most of its runways for four hours each day from early June to save power for the Egyptian government that is struggling to pay for fuel imports for power stations, the minister of civil aviation said.

Power cuts have become more frequent since the uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Two years of political upheavals have choked off tourism revenues and pressured the currency, triggering a soaring budget deficit.

Egypt's new Islamist leaders are trying to negotiate a credit line with the International Monetary Fund as the country faces a lack of funds to buy fuel, causing repeated power cuts.

"Cairo International airport will close for four hours daily starting the first of June while one runway will be kept open to receive any flights during those hours," the state news agency quoted civil aviation minister Wael al-Maadawi as saying on Saturday.

He said the closure should not have any impact on air traffic as the airport had seen a dramatic reduction in flights, and runways had been kept open without being used.

"The decision came after detailed study on the rate of work that had witnessed a huge reduction (in traffic) in the past two years," he added.

Shortages of state-subsidised diesel have paralysed transportation in parts of the country and fuel problems are expected to worsen as summer approaches and householders switch on their air conditioners.

Spending on fuel subsidies accounts for around a fifth of Egypt's budget.

The budget deficit is forecast to hit 10.9 percent of GDP in the year to the end of June, assuming economic reforms are made to curb spending. Without such reforms, the government says the deficit will hit 12.3 percent.



Read more: Cairo airport to partly close in summer to save power | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR 
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: Breaking News, Lebanon News, Middle East News & World News | THE DAILY STAR)


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## jemiljan

This is starting to look very tempting, and the cost fits the pocketbook. The only question is where to obtain it all. At the very least, it would be nice to keep food from spoiling and run a fan...

Our Simple DIY Home Solar Power System


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## MaidenScotland

Your in Egypt go with flow and leave the city in the summer..


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## jemiljan

MaidenScotland said:


> Your in Egypt go with flow and leave the city in the summer..


Unfortunately for some of us, leaving for the summer isn't an option...


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## hurghadapat

jemiljan said:


> Unfortunately for some of us, leaving for the summer isn't an option...



Lol then you will have to do same as the egyptians do when power fails and it's too hot to sleep....put wet towels or sheets over you


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## jemiljan

hurghadapat said:


> Lol then you will have to do same as the egyptians do when power fails and it's too hot to sleep....put wet towels or sheets over you


...hopefully along with a solar-charged, battery-powered fan... :fingerscrossed:


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## aykalam

MaidenScotland said:


> You can purchase large lights from Carrefour.. I just leave mine plugged in and when the power shortages come they automatically switch on.. I think I paid about 75 pounds a few years ago for mine and I have seen them used in clubs for security lightening on stairs in the event of a power cut.


today, LE260 for a rechargeable light at Carrefour. flying off the shelves...


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## jemiljan

aykalam said:


> today, LE260 for a rechargeable light at Carrefour. flying off the shelves...


Wow! I better go back and buy that 90-LED lamp for 105 LE at Moody's on Rd. 9 then! 

Yesterday, I found that portable, foldable solar panels are being sold by several companies in Turkey. Solar has apparently taken off there. Hope to see some when I visit later in the month...


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## jemiljan

expatagogo said:


> The trouble is the government doesn't have anymore to give. The well is dry.


Well, apparently they are willing to spend LE 25 million to block pornography...


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