In most of the Nordics a significant portion of the population would easily die after around 12-24 hours of no power for large parts of the year. It's very goddamned cold up here.
Old and young children, especially those living in cities or apartments would be in real trouble if heating cut out. They might not own enough thick blankets, and do not have alternative ways of heating their home.
It's cold here in Scandinavia. Nighttime temperatures are below freezing for half a year in a good chunk of the land. Winters are in general cold for a significant part of the population, three days without heating would be a serious danger if you don't know how to keep your home (relatively) warm in an emergency. When outside temperatures are around -15C, a house with no power can easily get cold enough to risk hypothermia. And in the winter, -30C is perfectly ordinary.
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