As flashbacks go, the one we endured in our house yesterday morning wasn't the most welcome.
In saying that, losing power overnight certainly wasn't the most terrible thing that could have happened. At least the candles, torch and matches were nearby in case they were needed, a hangover from last
weekend's storm; it seemed likely that with more strong winds there could be power cuts.
Being restricted to cereal and heating water on the barbecue wasn't any great hardship. Not compared to what some people have had to endure during the past week. We have been fortunate to have power all week; it's more than many have had. Our livelihood wasn't put in jeopardy by the lack of electricity, and our food was kept chilled and frozen as it needed to be.
One thing last weekend and yesterday morning's episode brought home to me was our utter reliance on electricity. Seemingly we need it to light and heat our homes, run pumps that keep the water flowing, provide hot water, cook ... pretty much all the important functions. Of course it doesn't have to be the case and I have always remembered the problems it created at my parents' home when the power went off - everything except the gravity-fed water supply was reliant on electricity. It has always astounded me that, as independent and self-reliant as New Zealanders are, we would allow ourselves to be so vulnerable.
It's not exactly our fault though. Far from the current energy efficiency advice that we are bombarded with, there was a time when Think Big was in vogue and everyone was encouraged to use electricity for the good of the company. It's a policy which looks set to pay dividends for the Government now as it looks to sell off a chunk of state assets, notably the highly-profitable energy companies.
