Scottish Hydro switched my electric off yesterday - they had to change part of the line. Not too much bother, you would have thought; they gave me advance warning and yes, the work was completed and the power back on an hour earlier than they stated. But it opened up a whole range of problems for me.

Firstly, I had started to fill my freezer with Christmas food before I got the letter. I was worried that the power being off from 9 till 4 would ruin it, but I didn't open the freezer and was told it would be OK. If I get food poisoning from it at Christmas I'll let you know!

But where I live, a mile out from a very small village in Aberdeenshire, we do not have gas (very few places here do), nor are we on mains water or sewage. So when the power goes not only do I have no electric but the water can't be pumped from the well so we have no water, I also cannot flush the toilet. I can't cook - the cooker is electric, in the dark winter months it is difficult to see, and I also had no heating as although the boiler is fueled by oil, the ignition for it is electric. I couldn't even make a cup of tea!

It really made me think how much we rely on electricity, and how much we waste. Yes, I know I my situation is a lot different from most people, but with most of our labour saving gadgets using electricity it makes a big difference when you no longer have it. There are alternative forms of electricity production; from solar to wind power, even wave power. If everyone was supplied with a small wind turbine and solar panels it would dramatically reduce the drain on the power grid, as well as saving a fortune on electric bills. But I think we would have a hard time convincing the Government of it's worth, as they can't tax you for power that you produce yourself.

Oh well, at least I have my PC back now. Hopefully I wont get another power cut the next time the wind blows or we have a big fall of snow!