Scotland was hit by an unexpected fierce storm yesterday. We had no electricity until lunchtime. Thankfully, we have an emergency gas heater and a gas hob, so it was a case of thermals and staying in the kitchen end of the house. However, it set me off thinking about how fortunate we are in this country with regard to utilities. I know they are getting more and more expensive, but on the whole they are reliable and we can usually turn on a tap and get clean water. It is not just in the very poor countries that electricity, for instance, is restricted. I read recently that parts of Lebanon can only expect a few hours of supply in each week.
It may seem unrelated, but I am going to try and remember to switch off lights and appliances from now on, and use the tumble drier less. It might even bring the electricity bill down and that would be magic.