When a ferocious storm plunged their Cornish home into darkness, a quick-thinking retired couple turned to an unlikely power source: their brand-new electric car.
A Dark and Stormy Night in Newquay
Tina and John Griffin, aged 67 and 72 respectively, were prepared for bad weather after receiving a phone alert. However, the reality of the fast-moving tempest that hit Newquay was far more frightening than they anticipated. "Branches were bashing against the windows, and plants were flying around the garden," Tina recalled. Soon after, their electricity supply was severed, leaving them in a bind.
"I'm not normally an anxious person but this was so scary," Tina admitted. The couple, a former NHS HR worker and a retired police officer, initially relied on candles, headlights, and rechargeable torches. By morning, with phones dead and no sign of power returning, they needed a more permanent solution while their neighbours began to evacuate.
The Spark of Ingenuity: Plugging the House into the Car
It was then that Tina had a brainwave. The couple had recently purchased an electric Renault 5 E-tech on a friend's recommendation. Remembering it had Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) technology, she wondered if it could help. "Out of nowhere, I came up with the idea," she said.
Having charged the vehicle fully the day before, they ran an extension lead from the car into their house. For the very first time, they used the V2L function to turn their car into a home generator. The results were immediate and transformative.
Life-Saving Power with Minimal Drain
The couple plugged in a suite of household essentials. Tina used her hairdryer and iron, and they connected lamps to banish the darkness. Crucially, John plugged in the freezer, saving all their frozen food from spoiling. Most importantly, they could recharge their phones to contact worried family and friends.
The most astonishing part was the minimal impact on the car. Despite powering their home through the blackout, the system consumed just 30% of the car's battery. "John and I were both flabbergasted," said Tina. "It only used a really small amount of energy."
Their power was restored on Saturday, though the storm raged until Sunday. Having escaped property damage and the need to flee to a hotel, the couple felt immensely relieved and lucky, especially given the large oak trees surrounding their home.
"It was a lifesaver," Tina stated. "We would definitely use the Renault in a storm again if we needed to." The experience not only saw them through a crisis but also made Tina fall in love with her beautiful yellow car all over again, proving it was far more than just a means of transport.
