Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) continues to restore power to the remaining customers affected by the adverse weather in central southern England yesterday.

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

Since 6am yesterday morning, engineers have restored power to over 50,000 customers. As of 8am, around 800 customers remain off supply in Oxfordshire and parts of Wiltshire.

These include faults affecting North Leach, Burford, Grove, Farringdon and Kidlington in Oxfordshire and Hannington, Wiltshire.All customers in this situation were proactively contacted yesterday evening with the offer of welfare facilities.

Extra resources have been diverted to these areas and every effort is being made to restore supplies to customers as quickly and safely as possible. It is expected that all homes affected by the weather event will be reconnected by lunchtime today.

Current location of Welfare van locations (11am update): serving free hot food and drinks:

  • Ascot Village Shops, OX7 6FY, Catering van up and running and serving food
  • Catering van at The Bell Inn Pub, 21 Market Square, Lower Heyford, OX25 5NY, customers can take food inside pub
  • Shipton Oliffe, The Quarry, Brockhampton, GL54 5XL
  • Haste welfare van moving to Stanton Fitz Warren ETA of midday, School Lane, Fairford, GL7 4HL

In preparation for yesterday'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 access issues easing, our teams are making good progress restoring power to the last remaining homes affected by yesterday's extreme weather. We have diverted extra resources to the Oxfordshire area, including contractors and engineers from other SSEN areas."

"I would like to apologise to anyone whowas without power overnight and assure them we will be working hard to carry out the final repairs this morning. I would also encourage customers to make use of the welfare facilities on offer and to call us onthe national power cut emergency number, 105, if they are concerned about a vulnerable family member or neighbour."

A further update will be provided at 12:30pm

Customers can prepare for 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 website where there is a wealth of advice and information on how to deal with a power cut
  • Following SSEN on Facebook and Twitter for 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 register for the Priority Service Register 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, click here or call 0800 294 3259.