I doubt that we will see much, if any, improvement in reliability in extreme weather.

There are many ways to improve reliability of local distribution, but I fear that any gains achieved thereby will be wiped out by an increase in severe weather events.

Current events underline my long held view that most rural and outer suburban homes should be equipped a NON ELECTRIC means of heating at least one room to at least 20 degrees, for at least two weeks without any re-supply.

A UPS should be considered with an extended run time battery, able to run basic lighting, internet router, and cordless phone base unit for at least 24 hours.

A NON ELECTRIC means of cooking a basic meal, possibly combined with the heating arrangements, otherwise a camping stove and fuel for two weeks use.

Non perishable food and bottled water for at least two weeks.

 Extra blankets and warm clothing.

More extensive preparations are well considering, but the above should be regarded as a prudent minimum. Consider not just extreme weather, but the risk of physical or cyber attacks on infrastructure. Or even war.

I am not sure if we are actually seeing more severe weather events, but we have greatly increased our sensitivity to them.

Properties are being built in places that were previously left empty because of the risks: flood plains, landslip areas, in forests where there are high fire risks, etc.

We are being driven to reduce our self-sufficiency. A non-electric heating system will be fossil fuel powered. A back up electricity supply will be fossil fuel powered, solar and battery will only go so far.

A simple land line phone connected to a central battery exchange was pretty reliable. Our current VOIP phones require a functional distributed electricity supply. Some cell phone masts do have back up generators but how well are they maintained and tested? Does someone go around and make a test run every week/month.

Shopping is also affected most big stores cannot sell without there computer/EFTPOS systems. Even if you have cash they won’t make a transaction.

Roger B said:

A simple land line phone connected to a central battery exchange was pretty reliable.

Yes indeed. One should also have at least one wired in handset, but all that will change for us next year.

With just about everybody being glued to a mobile 'phone nowadays, land lines are probably redundant. Certainly, we receive very few calls that way nowadays.

broadgage said:

Current events underline my long held view that most rural and outer suburban homes should be equipped a NON ELECTRIC means of heating at least one room to at least 20 degrees, for at least two weeks without any re-supply.

That may be a bit more than you need, but I agree with the principle.

IMHO, at least two forms of fuel are required. I cannot recall ever having lost a gas supply, but that does not help in the countryside. Nonetheless, you still need leccy to run the pump (and provide the spark for ignition nowadays).

All this rush to heat pumps will make matters worse, but the flip-side is that a properly built modern house needs so little heating that a small wood-burner will suffice.

broadgage said:

Current events underline my long held view that most rural and outer suburban homes should be equipped a NON ELECTRIC means of heating at least one room to at least 20 degrees, for at least two weeks without any re-supply.

That may be a bit more than you need, but I agree with the principle.

IMHO, at least two forms of fuel are required. I cannot recall ever having lost a gas supply, but that does not help in the countryside. Nonetheless, you still need leccy to run the pump (and provide the spark for ignition nowadays).

All this rush to heat pumps will make matters worse, but the flip-side is that a properly built modern house needs so little heating that a small wood-burner will suffice.

Gas supply failures HAVE occurred, such failures are much rarer than electricity supply failures, but when they do occur tend to persist for longer, days or weeks rather than hours.

Do not count on electricity. as an alternative in case of a gas supply failure ! Remember that DNOs only allow an average of about 5 amps per home ! This meagre sounding allowance actually works well in practice, until the gas supply fails.

An average of just two electric space heaters per home would increase the average load from 5 amps per home to 25 amps per home.

Add an immersion heater in alternate houses, and portable electric cooking appliances and the loading could reach an average of 40 amps per home.

Expect a lot of blown substation fuses, and transformers tripped due to over temperature, this has happened in previous gas supply failures.

I agree that non electric alternatives are needed, a solid fuel stove is probably best, but portable paraffin or LPG appliances are worth considering.