282 Now, why on earth did we have a power cut this morning? It's Off Peak! It may seem strange that we are asked to avoid using electricity during Peak Hours although throughout the evening you can see shop windows lit up and electric signs flashing! The answer is simple. Shop windows and signs only light up during Off-Peak hours. We, too, are only asked to avoid the Peak Hours at home. During those hours the demand for electricity from homes, offices, shops and industry is extremely heavy. If it gets too heavy the power stations have to cut supplies and that means discomfort and inconvenience for all, including the factories — and that is really serious.