Power Cuts in North Cyprus

One of the facts of life in North Cyprus is the power cuts we all experience from time to time. To anyone new to living here, the idea of suddenly being without electricity for hours fills them with horror. How can they possibly survive? Will the kids die of Playstation deprivation over a three hour black-out? Or will they actually have to start up a generator – panic!

I love the range of responses on the Cyprus44 on power cuts issue – they show that we North Cyprus residents are a stoic lot! First of all, we are practical – get a generator big enough to supply what you need. Then, view the power cuts as a sign of what we actually love about living in North Cyprus! As Garythegeezer puts it; “The fact that (North Cyprus) is 20 years behind the rest of Europe is fine by me, lower crime levels, lower cost of living, the friendliness of the people etc more than make up for an occasional power cut or the mains being turned off.” B&BLondon echoes that theme: “Those of us who love TRNC are happy to have found a more relaxed and peaceful lifestyle.”

OK, power cuts are a pain, but though a lifetime spent holidaying in Europe, you learn that it’s just part of Mediterranean life. Like the time a car hit the power pole outside our Athens hotel and we were escorted to our rooms by staff carrying candles. Or the Tuscan tower top floor apartment that lost not only power, but also its water supply (the pump was electric) every time there was a thunderstorm – and it was a very wet week. Or the Spanish apartment where local development workmen not only cut through the supply cables one morning with a massive trench worthy of a WWI battlefield, but also stranded our hire car in the car park on the non-road side of said trench, so we had to drive across the garden to get out...

Last time we were in darkness here in TRNC, Smug Sister in London was gloating; “Ah, you see that’s what happens when you leave civilization.” Then her power supply was out for four hours, and she was nearly driven mad with the burglar alarm system bleeping its indignation from its back-up battery, every other house alarm in the street blaring away, and the resulting trauma of having to reset every digital device from microwave clock to fax timer in the whole house once the power came back on. I should have said; “Get a generator and get over it” but I value my life, even down a phone line...