Heavy snow and winds of up to 70mph have caused damage to SSEN's overhead network, leading to disruption to customer supplies. The main areas affected are Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and parts of Berkshire. Access issues, including a number of road closures, have hampered efforts to carry out repairs.

From 6am this morning, engineers have restored power to over 48,000 customers. As of 11pm tonight, around 2,900 customers remain off supply.

SSEN engineers will continue to carry out repairs before standing down in the early hours, ready to resume at first light.

Due to continuing issues with access to fault locations in the Oxfordshire area, we expect around 800 customers will remain without power overnight. These include faults affecting North Leach, Burford, Grove, Farringdon and Kidlington. All customers in this situation have been proactively contacted with the offer of welfare facilities.

In addition, welfare vans, serving free hot food and drinks, are in the following locations:

  • Church Way Car Park, Oxford OX2 9LH
  • Abingdon Prep School, Abingdon, OX13 9NX
  • Taynton, Burford, OX18 4UH
  • Fox Inn, Denchworth, OX12 0DX

In preparation for today's weather event, SSEN drafted in extra resources, with over 850 frontline and support staff on duty, and moved equipment to areas it expected to be most affected. Over 137,000 customers on its Priority Service Register were also proactively contacted to offer extra help and support.

Craig Gilroy, Director of Customer Operations for SSEN, said:

"With worst of the weather now behind us, our engineers have made good progress restoring power to homes affected by today's weather event. Unfortunately, with heavy snow and travel issues still restricting access to fault locations, we expect around 800 customers in Oxfordshire to remain without power overnight."

"We have now contacted each of these customers to provide an update and offer welfare facilities. I'd like to thank customers for their patience and assure them we will be working hard from first light to get access to faults and carry out the final repairs."

"If any customers have specific requests, or are concerned about a vulnerable family member or neighbour, I would encourage them to call us on the national power cut emergency number, 105."

A further update will follow at 8am tomorrow morning.

Customers are encouraged to be prepared in the event of 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'sPower Track appto give you details of power cuts and restoration times
  • Going to SSEN's website where there is a wealth of advice and information onhow to deal with a power cut
  • Following SSEN onFacebookandTwitterfor regular updates

In the event of an interruption in power supplies, SSEN's customer service team will make outbound calls to customers on our Priority Service Register (PSR) to offer extra assistance, where required. People can qualify for the PSR if they:

  • Are dependent on electricity for home medical care
  • Have a chronic illness or short term medical condition
  • Are disabled
  • Have special communication needs
  • Have children under the age of five
  • Are over the age of 60

To find out more about the PSR, clickhereor call 0800 294 3259.