Huge operation restores power to thousands more customers in the north of Scotland

Our huge operation to reconnect the last few thousand customers still without power due to Storm Amy’s destructive winds is progressing well, with many more communities reconnected today. Several hundred team members are working for a third full day to fix a total of more than 700 network faults, and ensure customers are kept informed and supported. As of 4:30pm on Monday afternoon, the power is back on for 83,000 households; work continues to restore electricity to 4,900 properties. 

A massive response – in detail

The focus of Monday’s storm response operation has been two-pronged. Massive tree-cutting and network repair teams have been clearing access routes, and fixing network damage. Challenges caused by felled trees and storm debris have been problems for transport providers and utilities in the wake of this storm, so our tree-cutting teams have played a vital role, by clearing a route for engineers to assess, and then repair faults. Our own teams are being supported by more than 500 people who’ve travelled to the north of Scotland from other network operators based elsewhere in the country, and from contract partners.

While this work goes on, a large welfare operation has once again been coordinating the provision of complimentary hot meals in communities, and the in-person visits to more vulnerable customers. More than 17,000 free hot meals have been served across the weekend and today by food vans alone, and a number of local businesses have also opened their doors on our behalf. Information on locations and opening times is being provided to people when they call us, via in-person visits, on the special www.ssen.co.uk/stormsupport website and on social media. In-person visits are being carried out by our own staff members and volunteers from the British Red Cross.

The network restoration and welfare efforts are being increasingly concentrated in parts of the central and west Highlands, in areas of Argyll and on Mull, where challenging network faults are still being addressed. Even more resources are arriving in these communities to further accelerate this part of the reconnection operation. Members of the Customer Contact Centre team are getting in touch with customers directly if their estimated reconnection times are being amended.

Financial reimbursement

As part of our support package, customers 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 any receipts and claim costs back at  www.ssen.co.uk/stormclaim.   

In addition, people registered for our Priority Services can claim reasonable costs for alternative accommodation if they’re without power for more than 24 hours. Support with booking accommodation can be provided if needed. Customers can claim this in the same way as food and drink.

And if a power cut is confirmed to have lasted beyond 48 hours, all customers can benefit from this support, and can claim costs back in the same way as for food and drink.

Compensation

Customers may have questions regarding compensation, which is governed by Guaranteed Standards of Service set by the regulator, Ofgem.

Storm Amy 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 and a subsequent payment of £45 for each continuous 6-hour period that they did not have power thereafter. 

Guaranteed Standards payments are issued automatically, and customers don’t need to make a claim or contact us to receive this.

Letters will be sent out to customers eligible for Guaranteed Standards payments separately to the cheques, this will advise them that payment is on its way and will include information about the power cut that impacted them and how much they are receiving.

Nik Wheeler, SSEN’s Head of Customer Operations for the north of Scotland, said:

“The third full day of our storm response is also the third day without power for a number of our customers. I know this has been a challenging time, and I want to thank people for their patience and understanding. We’re working as safely and quickly as we can, and the pace of our restoration operation is picking up further speed as weather conditions improve, and the access to damage locations is cleared.

“However, the reality of what we’re finding once we make full assessments of the damage is considerable; in many locations, there are several issues on the same stretch of the network, and all these need to be fixed before homes can be reconnected. This is why some households have been contacted by us with an update to their reconnection time.

“While we complete these essential network repairs, I encourage people to use the free hot meal provision we’re providing across affected communities, and to take advantage of our support package, by claiming reimbursement for accommodation and food if they’re eligible.”

📞 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.