A £900,000 investment programme by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is under way to improve and strengthen the electricity network serving an East Hampshire village.
The programme of works in Horndean will see £500,000 invested in the renewal of essential operating equipment, including the replacement and upgrade of 150 poles and seven kilometres of overhead cable; boosting the security of supply and enhancing the local infrastructure across 10 transformers suppling nearby homes and businesses.
In addition to strengthening the village's electricity network, SSEN's Major Projects Team will take the opportunity to replace two of the existing transformer noise enclosures in Horndean Primary Substation along Lakesmere Road with new, improved panels; a further investment of £400,000. During the panel replacement works there is the possibility of some noise disturbance, but engineers will endeavour to reduce any noise to a minimum and will be considerate of those living and working in the immediate vicinity.
The initial upgrade works to cables and poles will be carried out by May 2020, with the full schedule of improvement works expected to be completed, on time and on budget, by June 2020.
Network reliability is a key priority for SSEN and the customers its serves. Following a series of engagements with its customers, SSEN took the decision to make the investment to further improve network resilience, and future-proof its infrastructure for customer's changing demands. This is part of SSEN's commitment to taking a "you said, we did" approach to investing in its vital infrastructure.
Mark Jones, is the Project Manager for the upgrade section of the Horndean improvement works. He said:
"The local network powering the homes and businesses of Horndean was identified for this considerable investment to boost the resilience of supply and ensure its reliability for years to come.
"SSEN is a responsible network operator and, as such, we do all we can to keep the lights on for our customers 24/7, but we also look for every opportunity to minimise any disruption to our customers while we carry out these works and that's why the decision was taken to replace the noise reduction panels on the nearby transformer at the same time.
"We'd like to thank the local community for their patience while we work to upgrade and strengthen their power supply, and while we don't have any planned power outages during this project, we would like to encourage anyone who could benefit from SSEN's additional services, such as the Priority Services Register to sign up."
SSEN's Priority Services Register provides free additional support for customers who may become vulnerable during a power cut. Customers can qualify for SSEN's Priority Services Register if they:
- Are deaf or hard of hearing
- Have a disability
- Live with children under five
- Are blind or partially sighted
- Have a chronic illness
- Use medical equipment/aid reliant on electricity
- Are over 60
By registering for SSEN's PSR, customers will be proactively contacted to warn them of potential bad weather to help them prepare and to offer extra support where required. SSEN's teams will also keep in close and regular contact with its PSR customers during network outages to check they are getting the help they need.
To find out more about the PSR, click here, or call 0800 294 3259. For more information on all the support available from SSEN, and for helpful advice on preparing for and dealing with a power cut, please visit our website.