Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution is maintaining its yellow alert status in advance of Storm Jocelyn, which is forecast to bring strong winds to the north of Scotland network area overnight tonight. This latest named storm arrives as SSEN is working hard to reconnect the last remaining homes that lost supplies as a result of Storm Isha yesterday.
💨 The weather forecast
Storm Jocelyn’s winds are increasing in their forecast speed, and they will pick up later this evening. Gusts could peak at 75mph at around 1am on Wednesday morning, but very strong winds will be widespread across SSEN’s network area by around 5am.
By 9am tomorrow, the worst of the winds will have passed, but disruption to the network caused by trees and debris coming into contact with overhead lines is expected, so our teams will be on the ground at first light ready to inspect and repair any damage.
The Met Office has its own weather warnings in place for Jocelyn; details of these can be found here.
👷 How SSEN is responding
SSEN’s storm response is already mobilised following Storm Isha earlier this week. This heightened state of operation continues while forecasters and network managers monitor Jocelyn as it tracks towards the north of Scotland.
The extra teams from SSEN’s own resources and contract partners who’ve already been responding to faults on the network will be rested, reinforced and redeployed. Control room teams – who can switch the network remotely when faults occur in certain areas – will be bolstered. In the contact centre, more people will be on hand to answer customers calls and queries and support customers’ welfare.
âš¡ Progress following Storm Isha
As of 12 noon today, supplies have been successfully restored to more than 37,000 customers. Work to reconnect the 370 remaining properties still without power is continuing this morning, with the expectation that everyone who lost power due to the storm’s effects will be reconnected by the end of today.
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 SSEN’s 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. If a power cut is estimated to last beyond 48 hours, all customers can benefit from this support.
SSEN knows the impact this may have on its customers and continues to work closely with Local Resilience Partners to co-ordinate welfare arrangements and identify customers who may need additional support.
Andy Smith, Operations Director at SSEN Distribution, says:
“Storm Isha caused widespread damage to our network on Sunday night and Monday morning, and I am grateful for the patience and support our customers have shown as we have worked hard to reconnect their power. Yesterday, our teams did an incredible job to reconnect 37,000 customers in just one day, and they continue to work hard to restore power to the last 370 homes today.
“Other than reconnecting these last customers from Isha, our teams’ focus today is to ensure we are fully prepared for Storm Jocelyn that is due to arrive in our network area at around 6pm this evening and bring the strongest winds in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Our teams are well prepared and on hand to respond tonight and tomorrow as required.
“I would like to ask all our customers to continue to use our Power Track app or website to report and keep updated with power cuts in their area, and to call us on 105 if they see any damage or safety issues with our equipment.”
📞 Information for customers
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.
How to get prepared
In preparation for any potential power cuts, 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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Register for extra support during a power cut
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
Preparing for a power cut
With bad weather on the way, we'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 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.