SSEN engineers are restoring power to the final homes affected by damage to the electricity network following Storm Doris.

Since midnight, power has been restored to over 30,000 homes, with around 2,000 homes currently without supply. All faults are being managed and engineers are working to restore power to all customers tonight.

Through the course of Thursday, Storm Doris brought severe winds, with gusts of up to 65mph, across the region. The worst of the conditions were felt in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and parts of Hampshire. Extra linesman and repair teams have been despatched to the worst affected areas to aid restoration efforts.

Welfare facilities, including hot food and drinks, have been provided in communities in the region, including Bicester, Yarnton and Bledington.

SSEN has more than 1,000 engineering, technical and support staff available. Ahead of the storm, engineering teams were mobilised to key locations to minimise disruption and inconvenience to customers. Customer service teams have also contacted over 7,000 customers on our Priority Service Register to check on their wellbeing in case they need additional help.

Craig Gilroy, Director of Customer Operations for SSEN, said: "Our network has stood up well to the force of Storm Doris and, now the weather has subsided, our teams are making good progress in restoring power to the remaining homes. We are moving people and resources to help these efforts and minimise disruption to our customers.

"I'd like to thank customers for their patience and ask anyone who is looking for an update on restoration times to visit our website or call us on the new national power cut helpline '105' where they can also advise if they require extra support from our priority service."

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks remains on yellow alert. A final update will be provided at 11.30am tomorrow.

Customers can prepare for possible disruption to power supplies by:

  • Saving the new emergency power cut number '105' to your phone to use if your power goes off, or if you see any damage to the electricity network.
  • Downloading SSEN's Power Track app to give you details of power cuts and restoration times.
  • Going to SSEN's Ready For Winter pages where there is a wealth of advice and information on how to prepare for a possible loss of power.
  • Following SSEN on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates
  • If people require extra help or assistance people can sign up to our Priority Service Register team. To find out more click here or call 0800 294 3259

Members of the public should not approach fallen or damaged power lines, as they may still be live.