Dear LPG.  

I have a little story for you and I wonder how unique it is.  

I was left powerless for just half an hour early one June morning not so long ago. There I was, sat up in bed with my old lap top balancing on my knees, when the YouTube video I was watching suddenly disappeared and the screen went black.   It is now so old that the battery does not really work and it depends on being attached to that unseen and often-forgotten (once you have struggled to pay for it) source that can be seen as the ‘lifeblood’ of our homes.  I had been expecting my beloved electronic device to pack up for a while so, at first, with that sense of sadness, I mentally accepted that my beloved computer had suddenly displayed its final screen.  

With a sad but unexpected realisation, I looked up and noticed that a few other things had happened while I was busy looking at the video.  It was one of those bright, sunny mornings so all the lights were off anyway, but when I looked up I noticed that the television had stopped and the standby light was not on.   

This was a power cut, and it is funny how all the things that we used to do when they happened more frequently kicked in.  I was relieved, really, because lack of power would have that effect on any laptop with an old battery, meaning that, once the power was restored, all would more than likely be well.   

I decided a cup of tea was the answer but, predictably, the kettle did not work.  In the end I found a box of matches and got a saucepan of water on to boil.  The next thing was the milk, but when I opened the fridge door, the darkness reminded me that the food in side was living on borrowed time.  I could hear the traffic outside which would have been lost while I concentrated on the morning television news report if I could have turned the telly on.   

This is when I decided on a trip to the fuse box but none of those little buttons had popped out.  As I did it, I thought how lucky I was that it was mid-June and light enough that I could see the buttons in spite of how early it was.   

I next reached for my landline telephone but, though old-fashioned, it is wireless and it took me a minute to realise that the charging cradle had no power.  I remember thinking that the handset should still be charged enough to let me make a call but I then realised that all our landlines have been converted, and the broadband box also needs electricity to function.  I decided that I needed to know just how widespread the outage was.  Had it been dark, a look out of the front window would have answered that question, but because it was one of those mornings when it is light at 04:30 in the mornings, and I was not  dressed to a point where I was willing to be seen, I would need the phone…      

I then went to find my mobile but it rang and offered me an automated message telling me about the power cut.  I was very impressed to receive that call, because my question had been answered and the ringing helped me to find the phone.  I wondered why they did not phone the landline, then I remembered the broadband box.   

I thought I should get ready for the day, but my hot water was cold  

As I looked around the house, I noticed all the missing standby lights that I normally take for granted.  The kettle was dark, as was the oven clock, the microwave and the air fryer, the fridge, and the televisions were not working either.    

What does the average person do when you cannot see the time? If you have an Alexa you just ask but of course.  Poor (and usually dependable) Alexa is yet another thing that was out of action because of lack of broadband and power. 

I was just getting really worried about all of the above when suddenly there was a progression of various beep sounds heard, and it was as if the last half hour never happened. 

I am sure that people do have the occasional power cut in the 21st century but I honestly cannot remember the last time we had an unannounced electricity outage, and the experience got me thinking about just how dependent we are on the stuff…   

NP Lewisham.