Dear Black Bag Confidential Reader,
There’s only one thing worse than knowing the power in your home might go out and having no idea when it will come back on — and that’s realizing your cellphone is nearly dead and needs the power you may not have much longer…
You probably have flashlights sitting around that can help you navigate your way around the house in a blackout. If you’re hungry, the food and beverages in the refrigerator will stay fresh for a while. And you can probably live without watching TV for a few nights.
But when your cellphone isn’t working, you can’t call or text or access the internet. That’s when it’s time to panic, right?
Well, thankfully, there are ways to make what little juice your cellphone has last when your power is about to go out. Let’s take a look at 10 of them:
- If a thunderstorm is brewing, there’s a chance the power could go out at any time. So keep your nearly dead cellphone plugged into a charger until the house goes dark. Charge your laptop as well (we’ll get to why in a moment)
- Restart your cellphone so that no battery-hogging apps are running in the background
- Other battery-draining elements of your cellphone are displays. To minimize that problem, turn the brightness display down as low as possible
- Assuming your laptop is charged, there’s power waiting for your cellphone. Turn on the laptop and close out any open applications. Plug your cellphone charger into the laptop’s USB port and drain some power from the laptop’s larger battery
- Another power source is your car’s battery. If you have a car cellphone charger, let your car run in the driveway while it powers your cellphone
- Radios such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth drain a cellphone’s battery more than anything else, so turn them off. That way, at least you’ll be able to send and receive emergency calls and texts
- Another battery drainer on cellphones is “push” notifications you receive from news services and apps. Turn off all notifications
- Text messages use up the smallest amount of data, so send texts rather than making phone calls when the power is out
- Limit your cellphone use. A no-brainer, right? But it’s easy to forget. The less you use it during a blackout, the more likely it will work in an emergency
- I saved this one for last because not too many people have them. But it’s not too late to get one before your next power outage. You can now purchase solar-powered phone chargers for iPhones, Androids, etc.
Of course, many Americans are taking matters into their own hands and securing their own solar-powered generator so they don’t have to worry about power outages at all.
Solar generators are a smart choice because they produce an endless supply of lifesaving electricity when you need it most — without gas, fumes or noise.
Our top recommendation in portable solar generators is the Patriot Power Generator 1500.
It’s a breakthrough NEW device that generates up to 1,500 continuous watts of clean, quiet and FREE renewable power.
That’s enough to power lights for safety and comfort or your computer, TV or cellphone. Even small appliances like a small freezer or critical medical device that will sustain your family during a power outage.
