When the lights go out ...

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Electric failure - Brief article

Some 62% of Americans lose power once a year or less, with 38% losing it more than once, according to a Harris Poll commissioned by Cummins Power Generation. When asked how long before losing power no longer is fun, 22% say it is not fun at all, not even for a minute, while 32% claim the fun stops between one and four hours on a typical weekday.

Sixty-three percent maintain the most-inconvenient time to lose power is between 6 p.m.-10 p.m., while 36% think it is between 5 a.m.-9 a.m. When asked what they missed the most when the power is out, 58% said heating/air conditioning followed closely by Internet connection (56%) and refrigerator (55%)--and 73% of Americans agree they would rather have Internet over TV/cable when the power is out.

Twenty-three percent miss the ability to recharge portable devices...