The shortage of fuel in the electricity generating sector meant repeated and prolonged power interruptions yesterday, despite a sharp decrease in demand due to the strike. Yesterday’s deficit is estimated to have been 450mw, which amounts to just over one-third of total capacity. El Caribe reports that the new wave of power cuts has forced some lifestyle changes: some people are going to sleep earlier or rising earlier, while others have given up their morning walk because of the darkened streets in the early hours. For some homemakers it is now a matter of staying up late for the power and water to return in order to do the laundry and ironing. Public transportation users complain that the unlit streets at daybreak make them feel wary of leaving for their workplaces at the usual hour, but waiting for daylight makes them late for work. Even the middle classes are reeling at the increased prices of batteries for inverters. In any case, the current supply of electricity is often insufficient to keep inverters charged and businesses, such as restaurants especially, must consider purchasing generators to keep their operations running.