Light work

Our part of Britain seems to have got off fairly lightly, this time, as far as power cuts go. We were cut off for about 18 hours earlier this month and it happened again at about 10:30pm on a wild night.

The main comments I heard were congratulating the electricity board for climbing poles in the dark when we would not be happy to go out at all.

Two years ago we were cut off for five days and, again, when the power came back on the comments were: “Well done”.

I hear on the media the many complaints from customers who have been cut off for several days.

We sympathise with them but do we have a different standard of electricity suppliers or a different type of customer?

Ranald Coyne

Arisaig

It is hard to imagine all the suffering caused when the electricity supply fails due to storm damage to the overhead distribution network, causing not only loss of light, but also heat, as well as essential services in hospitals and elsewhere.

I can remember when electricity was generated locally; so there were no cables on pylons to be damaged, or spoil the countryside, nor nuclear power stations with their risks and problems of waste disposal.

It may be argued that fuel could be a problem with local generation, but we have the sun, rivers and sea, all of which can be exploited now.

Malby Goodman

High Street

Aberdour