Blackout

Thousands of homes suffering power cuts yesterday in south-east London, from half past seven in the morning, as EDF Energy said supplies were isolated 'for safety reasons'- "We are liaising closely with the fire service and apologise for the inconvenience this is causing customers,"- is very bad news.

'Inconvenience' is a wholly inadequate way to describe the problems generated within a modern domestic environment in a first world metropolis by a power failure. Must we recast our lives completely, including our physical environment, to meet the demands of a world where power, food, transport, warmth, water, and shelter are no longer guaranteed?

Those who stocked up on a year's worth of basics last summer have already profited from their foresight and their storage space. But that is the simplest response to give and within the decision-taking aegis of individuals; all it needs is cash, a freezer, a larder and a car (any one of which of which can be in short supply in many city homes).

Private transport is under attack when the private transport of goods as well as family members is becoming an essential for many, particularly women. Heating bills threaten to rise further by up to 40%; we have some private response to this - clothing, 'living cold', and if we are rich enough insulating our dwelling.

Water other than for drinking and cooking is not a private decision-taking area, more a public health disaster threat (cutting off water for non-payment in some high rise blocks in Birmingham was rethought hurriedly at the end of the last century). Others have commented widely on threats to our private control over shelter. Power is outside our private control completely. It cannot be stored and its guaranteed supply cannot be bought by individuals. Indeed they are the first in line for cuts when supply shortages erupt. The graduated loss of private control over essentials of life is total with electricity.

Metropolitan, city, town, even rural life styles are built on long standing assurance of uninterrupted power. Apologies for 'inconvenience' are a measure of the dislocation between what we have built our private lives on, and what we face now.