Teams from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution have continued to work throughout this evening to restore power to customers in the north of Scotland in the wake of Storm Gerrit.
Today’s weather conditions were more severe than forecast. From early this morning, sustained storm-force winds moved across Argyll and the southern Highlands before impacting the Angus and Aberdeenshire coasts and inland areas across the northeast.
Wind gusts have approached 80mph in coastal areas, with even stronger gusts on higher ground. These high winds, along with heavy rain and snow, have resulted in damage to the electricity network, caused by fallen trees, branches, and other debris.
As of 9.45pm tonight, supplies have been successfully restored to almost 25,000 customers, with just over 16,000 further properties currently off supply, mainly due to faults which occurred this afternoon.
The widespread extent of the damage, the ongoing adverse weather conditions, and the challenges accessing faults due to fallen trees, flooding and road closures, together mean that full network restoration will take time. Some customers in rural areas may be off supply for up to 48 hours, particularly in the north east which felt the brunt of Storm Gerrit later this afternoon.
SSEN knows the impact today’s weather is having on its customers and continues to work closely with local resilience partners to coordinate welfare arrangements and identify customers who may need additional support. SSEN has proactively contacted over 50,000 customers on its Priority Services Register and continues to call those most vulnerable to check in and offer help.
In response to the weather forecast and the storm itself, SSEN enacted its well-established resilience plans. Additional teams to repair the network were mobilised from first thing this morning. This evening, welfare vans are being moved to locations where the power will not be restored tonight. These will provide hot meals and drinks from 9am on Thursday morning at the following locations:
- The Riggs car park, Fort Augustus, PH32 4DF
- Finzean Hall, Banchory, AB31 6LY
- The Square, Tarland, AB34 4YL
- Bellabeg, Strathdon (opposite the local shop) AB36 8UL
- The Public Hall, High Street, Sandhaven, Fraserburgh, AB43 7EQ
- Aberlour Parish Church car park, 7 Victoria Terrace, AB38 9PW
Location details of five further hot food vans we plan to deploy will be provided in the morning.
As part of SSEN’s support package, customers who will be without power for more than 12 hours are entitled to £30 per person for every day without power, to cover the cost of food and drink. People should keep hold of their receipts and claim costs back at www.ssen.co.uk/stormclaim
In addition, customers on our Priority Service Register can claim reasonable costs for alternative accommodation if it is expected they will be without power for over 24 hours. Support with booking accommodation can be provided if needed.
While the worst of this severe weather has now passed mainland Scotland and Orkney, a Met Office yellow warning remains place for Shetland until 0600 on Thursday morning.
Andy Smith, Operations Director at SSEN Distribution, said:
“I know this has been a tough day for our customers, and I’d like to thank them for their patience. We’ve had every resource at our disposal deployed from first thing this morning to respond to faults on the network. The conditions we have encountered while doing so have been extremely challenging.
“In the face of the day’s adverse weather, our teams have made good progress, reconnecting almost 25,000 customers, but poor conditions, and the challenges we’ve had travelling by road to affected areas, mean it will take time to complete all repairs. Some customers in rural areas where there are multiple points of damage, may be without power until Friday.
“We’re putting welfare provision in place in a number of the affected areas, and we’re speaking to our most vulnerable customers to offer them specific support. Anyone who may need additional help or advice should contact our dedicated teams on the power cut helpline, 105.”
A further update will be provided tomorrow morning.
If you see any damage to our equipment, please stay back, don’t touch it and instead report it to us directly by calling 105, or via our Power Track Website, and engineers will investigate as soon as possible.
Customers are also being encouraged to be prepared for the possibility of disruption to supplies by:
- Saving the emergency power cut number - '105' - to your phone to report any loss of supply or damage to the electricity network
- Visiting our Power Track Website to give you details of power cuts and restoration times. You can also report power cuts and network damage through Power Track.
- Visiting the "Preparing for a power cut" section on our website, where there is a wealth of advice and information, or to chat live to one of our advisors via the Webchat service
Customers are also eligible for our Priority Services Register (PSR) 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/aids reliant on electricity
- Are over 60.
To find out more about the PSR, click here or call 0800 294 3259.
Support during a power cut
To keep updated with any power cuts across our network, we are encouraging our customers to save the emergency power cut number 105 and to follow us on Facebook and Twitter (ssencommunity) for regular updates.
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Priority Services Register
We all rely on electricity day to day for various things, but for some, a power cut can be worrying or difficult. That’s why we offer extra help and support during a power cut. Registering for our Priority Services helps us to help you when you need it most. All our priority services are free. -
View our tips and advice to help you during a power cut
Dealing with a power cut
If you are currently experiencing a power cut, we know this can be a difficult time. That's why wee've put together some helpful tips and advice to help you during a power cut. You can also download our useful resources to share with your family, friends, and neighbours. -
Report a power cut or damage to our network through our map
Power Track
You can stay updated and track the progress of any faults in your area on our Power Track map or report damage to our network. You can also follow the progress of planned interruptions as well as find the nearest EV charge point if you have an electric vehicle that needs charging during a power cut.