I'm part of the Emergency Standby Rota all this week, including Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and so if there's a fault on any part of our network in the city of Aberdeen and wider Aberdeenshire, I'll be working alongside a team of skilled craftsmen, with everyone ready to get your power back on as safely and as quickly as possible.
As Engineering Manager, it's my responsibility to oversee any issues we might be having on our network, I make sure that our teams are in place and have access to all the tools and equipment they need so that we can deal with any situation that may arise.
No matter the time of year, it's really important that our customers have access to accurate and up to date information if there is a power cut in their area, and so another key part of my role is keep our Customer Contact Centre and our Control Room updated with our progress as we carry out repairs. This means that when customers call us on 105 or check thePower Trackapp on their phone or tablet, they get the information they need to let them make plans until their power is restored.
Finally, my role can involve a fair bit of travelling, as I'll personally attend any complex issues to provide onsite guidance and assistance to our teams.
We're always here for you, working hard 365 days of the year to keep the power flowing, but we know that Christmas is an important time for everyone, especially this year when more people have been at home and haven't been able to see as many of their family and friends as usual, so the Christmas celebrations this year (virtually or otherwise) have taken on an extra importance for a lot of people.
My young boys know dad's a busy man at this time of the year and so he may have toswaphis Santa hat for the more standard yellow SSEN helmet if the phone goes, but they also understand how important it is that everyone has power over the Christmas period.
While I can't guarantee that the power will never go off, what I can guarantee is that that my teams and I will be there as soon as possible to safely restore the supplies with the minimum of fuss to allow the celebrations to continue.
We also realise that some of our customers have a particular need for electricity, for example if they have a young family or rely on power for home medical equipment, and so we have our Priority Services Register to offer them extra support during a power cut. To learn more about this free service, please visit our website.
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and remember, if you have a power cut or see any damage to our equipment, please call us on 105, we're here 24/7 ready to help you.