A recent survey conducted on behalf of the comparison portal Verivox has revealed that a majority of Germans would be unprepared in the event of a blackout. According to the survey, which was reported on by Welt, 73% of participants said they had not made specific preparations for a power outage. Only 27% said they had prepared.
Of those who have made preparations for a power outage, the most common item mentioned was lighting, such as candles or flashlights (71%). Food storage (65%), cash (57%) and hygiene and health products (57%) were also frequently mentioned. 21% of respondents said they had arranged for their own electricity through a backup generator, while 13% said they had prepared in the area of self-defense or weapons.
A majority of 69% believes that the power supply in Germany is secure. 22.5% are undecided, while 8.5% of respondents believe that the power supply is not secure.
Cyber attacks were perceived as the biggest threat to the power supply (59%), followed by terrorist attacks (51%) and natural disasters (43%). According to the survey, 47% of respondents believe that the authorities and responsible parties are not well-prepared or insufficiently prepared for a blackout. Only 22% of respondents believe that they are very well-prepared or well-prepared.