If You Lost Electricity

Most people expect to experience a power outage. But they don’t really consider what they lose when the electricity doesn’t work.

If electric power disappeared, 21^st century life as we know it would end. Indeed, we couldn’t even enjoy 20^th century conveniences without electricity. Losing electricity would bring you back to the mid-1800s when large-scale electric power hadn’t yet been conceived.

Power Outage: Lost Food

First, if you lost electricity, you’d have to toss out the food in your refrigerator and freezer. Without electricity to keep things cold, you’d have to rely on canned, dried, and fresh foods. And you couldn’t store your leftovers for tomorrow’s dinner, either, or toss a quick dish in the microwave. That would mean more time in the kitchen.

Power Outage: No Washer or Drier

Second, you’d have to find some old wash boards because your washer and drier won’t run. That means you’d have to spend hours washing laundry by hand. And with that many hours necessary to take care of the home, forget a two-adult household income. You or your significant other will have to stay home and do housework full time.

Power Outage: No Computers or Internet

Third, you’d lose the internet. No Facebook. No emails. No sports and industry news at your fingertips. Communication would be reduced to newspapers and word of mouth. If your work relied on computers and the internet, you’d have to find a new source of income.

Power Outage: No Heating or Cooling

Fifth, you’ll lose air conditioning. So, when the temperature spikes up in the summer, you’ll have to rely on cross-breezes and hand-held fans to cool off. If your home or business relies on electric heat, you won’t have that either. So, when the temperature drops in the winter, you’ll have no way to stay warm or to protect your pipes from bursting.

And forget lights.

Forget medical equipment.

Forget movies.

Forget music.

If losing your electricity sounds like an apocalypse scenario, it shouldn’t. Power outages happen frequently and —unfortunately — are becoming more frequent. Food, the ability to wash clothes, access to the internet, heating and cooling, lights, electrified medical equipment, and so on are all lost when the electricity goes out.

For a few hours, going without these conveniences is not a major issue. But when a major storm hits and you have to go days without these things, life requires some difficult adjustments.

Standby generators prevent you from having to go without power when a large-scale power outage occurs. Stay in the 21^st century.