Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has today launched it's 'Not Worth The Risk' campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of tampering with and altering electricity supplies across its central southern England and north of Scotland infrastructure.
Using the hashtag NOTWORTHTHERISK, the network operator is using social media to help spread the message on the potentially fatal consequences that can result in customers attempting to install, change or misuse their power supply. In the past twelve months, SSEN has recorded over 548 incidents where its network has been deliberately damaged by those seeking to use supplies illegally.
These 'illegal connections and illegal service alterations' include domestic and commercial customers moving the location of their meters, creating additional connections to outbuildings or gardens, and even bypassing network equipment to run illegal cannabis plants in domestic properties.
Head of SSEN's Network Protection team, Shane Scarsbrook said: "Our team is responsible for ensuring the safety, security and integrity of the company's equipment across its network and we want to use this campaign to protect both our network and our customers. Any alteration or illegal connection made to our network, no matter how small, has the potential to result in serious injury, or even worse.
"Interfering with the electricity network can have far-reaching consequences; even if you are lucky enough to avoid immediate and possibly fatal injury, you have now created a situation that can easily result in fire spreading through a property, endangering the lives of occupants and those in neighbouring properties."
SSEN is asking anyone who comes across what looks like illegal interference to its electricity network, or sees something that doesn't look right, to stay away from the network and immediately call the Network Protection team on 0800 048 1618 - this is free-to-call - and SSEN will arrange for an engineer to attend as soon as possible to check the situation and, if necessary, make it safe again. All reports are dealt with, with the strictest confidentiality and the reporters name will not be used anywhere else.
The network operator is also encouraging its customers to use the NOTWORTHTHERISK hashtag and help spread the word through their social media channels. For the next week, SSEN will feature the NOTWORTHTHERISK hashtag along with case studies, a video, and images of deliberate alterations to their network on their Twitter and Facebook feeds and wants to highlight the dangers by asking their followers to retweet and repost the warnings.
Shane continued: "Any customer who attempts to alter the electricity network - no matter how innocent their intention - is taking their life in their hands. The negative outcome of their actions can be life-changing, not just for them, but for their family and friends.
"It's just not worth the risk and we're encouraging our customers to look out for, and to report, any suspicious signs of damage or alteration that they might spot on our network. By helping us to highlight the dangers and spread the message, they could be helping to save a life."
SSEN is also keen to highlight the illegality of unauthorised and 'DIY' work on their network, as it constitutes "tampering and damage to plant" as laid out in the Electricity Act (1989).
Service alterations and modifications to domestic and commercial service cables have the potential to impact not only those carrying out the work, but also the occupants of the building as well as neighbouring properties. Where work at the point of connection to the network has been carried out by unauthorised contractors, the quality of materials and workmanship will not meet legal regulations. Substandard work could also impact on other areas of our network, create dangerous connections for our customers or cause frequent power cuts.
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