We listen to the news, we hear about the ‘energy crisis’, yet we pooh-pooh the very concept of ‘renewable energy’ as something we’ll consider when we need it, we burn oil and gas for all we’re worth and we laugh when we hear of countries having programmed power cuts to conserve power. Basically; we just take it for granted. Plug it in and turn it on. What could go wrong?

Well today I had a taste of doomsday. A brief insight into the world that, ‘Eye-ran deals or no-deals’ notwithstanding, we may soon be entering.

My power was turned off at work. It was ‘planned’, so two scruffs from UK Power could change a little box. Not just any ‘little box’ but the one wot brings electricity to my building. Because the old little box (no idea of its official description, but its important) had gone manky and horrid and, allegedly, potentially dangerous. So I spoke to ‘elf’n’safety’ (me) who contacted HR (me) and it was put to the board (more me) and voted, 1-nil, to replace the box. And whilst they did it; the power was off.

About 45 minutes of no power.

No computers. No phones (they’re digital and run on the wifis, which you don’t get without power). Same with the credit card terminal; can’t authorise without the router. I was charging my bike; that went off. And my phone, and that went off too. Can’t make tea. That’s a big one. Oh, or do any work. In any meaningful way.

And as we sat shivering heatlessly in the dark, twiddling our thumbs, I thought; this is what life was like, just after the Stone Age. When humans built houses and buildings but didn’t yet have anything to do in them as they waited for electricity to be invented just a few centuries later, so they could charge their… errrr… swords. And axes. Yes.

We could have built a fire to sit round, providing heat and light, but the fucking mess would have been terrible and indoor bonfires are banned. Due to what happened in Pudding Lane in 1666.

The power returned. The scruffs departed. Everything turned back on; we’d stepped (literally) out of the dark ages back to 21st century normal.

I went straight to Robert Dyas and bought a roof-top windfarm, three solar panels and a diesel powered generator. In case the little box needs replacing again. Though there’s no wind, the sun’s not shining and my diesel is stuck in the Straits of Hormuz!!!

Happy Monday

A xxxx