On the morning of Wednesday, 25 June, power was cut to over 200 homes in Kempston following a fault in an electricity substation.
For thousands of people, this was just a headline and a story they read before going about their day. But for my family, one of the 200 homes affected, the effects are still ongoing.
Read: Over 200 Kempston homes without power for 24 hours as unplanned power cut continues
Described by UK Power Network (UKPN) as a rare “neutral fault”, a spokesperson said this “can result in voltage fluctuations for customers, which may result in damage [to electrical appliances], as it did in this instance”.
When I came home from college at 3:15pm and discovered our power had been cut, it came as a shock. Having no Wi-Fi, hot water or lights was a peculiar experience that made me wonder how people in the past lived and spent their time.
Anxious
I was grateful it was summer and got dark later in the evening, but even so, it did make me feel anxious as we did not know when the power would return.
I did not know what to do with myself as there was nothing I could do to help get the power back or fix things, and I did not feel like I could focus on anything but the uncertainty.
Electricians would frequently visit and were very concerned and polite. After doing thorough safety checks, they turned our power back on at around 9:30pm.
We rushed around the house trying to turn things on to see if they still worked.
Unfortunately, we discovered our washing machine, TV and many other things, such as charging cables and extractor fans, were broken. The idea of fixing all the damage was daunting, but we were assured it would all be done for us.
They procured a part for our boiler and fixed it only two days later, on Friday afternoon, free of charge.
UKPN’s spokesperson said: “We understand how difficult this has been for our customers, and had customer service staff on site visiting homes, providing updates and support.
“Our community support vehicle and a food van were also on site to provide people with hot food and drinks. We worked around the clock to restore all individual homes.”
Technology
Read: Kempston power cut nearly resolved as just four homes await final safety checks
On Monday, 30 June, the electricians took our small things away for either repair or replacement and have assured us they would return the next day with a temporary substitute washing machine until they buy us a new one, which we really appreciated.
On Tuesday, 1 July, we received a temporary replacement washing machine. It gives us hope that our home will go back to normal soon.
Grown-ups often criticise young people for being so reliant on electricity, technology and Wi-Fi, but having it is all we have ever known.
This power cut has shown me that power is a fundamental part of our everyday lives, and so much of what we rely on is useless without it. When there’s a power cut, we are literally and figuratively left in the dark.
Published as part of our work experience partnership with Kimberley College
