Huge operation continues across the Highlands to reconnect customers following Storm Floris

Our huge operation to restore electricity supplies to customers in the Highlands who lost power in the wake of Storm Floris on Monday continues.

This storm brought potentially record-breaking wind gusts at low altitudes; speeds of 83mph were recorded at Wick Airport on Monday evening, which is less than 40 metres above sea level. Sustained, storm-force winds swept across the Highlands for most of Monday. Because Floris hit at the height of summer, trees were in full leaf, making them heavier, and more susceptible to being blown over.

Fallen trees have caused multiple points of damage at a number of locations across the Highlands. The dispersed nature of settlements means network damage is affecting supplies to communities across a wide area. The impact is particularly acute in the Great Glen, Sheildaig, Conon Falls, Conon Bridge, Tain and Evanton.

Our response in detail 

We've mounted a large, broad-based, and specialised operation to reconnect homes and support customers. Even before Floris arrived, we were expecting this storm to have a severe impact, and had made preparations accordingly.

• Hundreds of additional engineers and field teams were mobilised from our own workforce and our sister Transmission business, with further support from contract partners and network operators in other parts of the country. The current long daylight hours are extending the length of time that’s available to carry out network repairs.

• Specialist lines teams from our central southern England network area have travelled the length of the country to reinforce the operation in the Highlands.

• Helicopters are being used for a second day to inspect the network from above, meaning the extent of damage can be established more quickly, and repairs planned accordingly.

• Tree-cutting teams have cleared debris hindering access to faults, thus allowing repairs to progress.

• We've organised the provision of hot meals in affected communities, either by hiring in hot food vans, or by working in partnership with local cafes and restaurants. More than 3,000 meals have already been provided to customers. Opening times and locations are being updated regularly; details can be found on our Social Media channels – ‘Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks’ on Facebook – and ‘SSENCommunity’ on X.

• A special website ssen.co.uk/stormsupport is also providing regularly updated information. These sources of information are being given to local media so they can keep people updates via their own channels.

• We will be working with MERT Highland in affected communities to visit the most vulnerable customers in their homes; the impact of the storm has caused issues with mobile networks, so we’ve been checking in with people on the ground to ensure they have access to the help and information we offer, even if they’re unable to get online. Our specialist Priority Services Team is regularly calling customers where possible to keep them updated.

• Our Customer Contact Centre has had extra staff on duty since the weekend to take customers’ calls, answer queries on social media, and to provide advice. More than 15,000 customers have phoned us, while 8,000 messages have been responded to online. The average wait time for callers has been under 90 seconds.

As part of our own bespoke support package, customers without power for more than 12 hours are entitled to £30 per person for every day off supply, 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.

Storm Floris has been confirmed as a Category 2 Severe Weather Event, which means customers without power for more than 48 hours continuously, will receive a Guaranteed Standards payment of £85.00 and a subsequent payment of £45.00 for each continuous 6 hour period that they did not have power thereafter.

Guaranteed Standards payments are issued automatically and customers do not need to make a claim or contact us to receive this. Let your customer know our priority at this time is reconnecting the customers who are still off supply, quickly and safely.

Letters will be sent out to customers eligible for Guaranteed Standard payments separately to the cheques, this will advise them that a cheque is on its way and will include their fault information and how much they are receiving. 

Andy Smith, SSEN’s Director of Customer Operations for the north of Scotland, says:

“Hundreds of people are involved in our operation to reconnect people in the Highlands as safely and quickly as possible in the wake of Storm Floris. Anyone who experienced for themselves the severity of Monday’s storm-force winds will know just how ferocious they were, and the impact they’ve had on the local electricity network has been widespread and severe.

“We’ve established a large, twin-pronged operation to fix faults and rebuild parts of the network, while also putting in place arrangements to ensure people can get a hot meal and a drink, and dedicated support if they need it.

“Engineers from as far afield as the south of England are on the ground here working alongside our own teams to fix faults. While this goes on, we’ve done all we can to provide people with realistic estimations of when their supplies will be restored. We’re sorry for the extent of the disruption this storm has caused, and we thank people for their patience while we’ve responded with every tool at our disposal.”

📞 Help and advice

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.