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We're continuing to reconnect customers who are still without power after Storm Amy’s extremely damaging winds. More engineering teams have arrived today from across the country to further reinforce our massive power restoration operation.
Amy has been a particularly severe storm; the Met Office has provisionally said a new low-pressure record for October was set in Shetland, and a gust of 96mph was recorded on Tiree.
As of 3:30pm on Sunday afternoon, the power is back on for more than 71,000 customers. Work continues to reconnect 17,000 homes. More than three quarters of those who lost power due to the storm have now been reconnected, and we're deploying huge resources to reconnect those remaining customers, but this will take time. Most of the homes without power are in the Highlands. Access challenges are being experienced here and also by teams repairing the network in Argyll, where some communities are also awaiting reconnection.
The sustained, storm-force winds have posed considerable challenges; but days of preparations before the storm arrived have ensured reconnection work is progressing as safely and as quickly as it can as and when weather conditions permit. Days of severe wind warnings finally ended at noon today, and the arrival of calmer conditions is allowing work to progress more quickly. However, some access routes are still blocked by fallen trees and storm debris, and this is hindering access to some areas where the network has been damaged.
ABOVE: The hot food van in Lochgilphead which served meals on Saturday to customers awaiting reconnection. (Photo courtesy of Bob Ray)
Our response in more detail
The work on the network is covering a broad range of activities today:
- Our helicopter took off early this morning from Inverness Airport, to inspect network damage across the Highlands. This vantage point provides restoration teams with invaluable perspectives of faults, which can then be accessed and addressed.
- Hundreds of engineers and tree cutters are once again clearing the way to network damage and then carrying out repairs as safely and quickly as they can. Dozens of teams have arrived this morning from fellow network operators and contract partners from across the country to support this work.
- A large welfare operation is once again being co-ordinated, with meals being served in several locations to customers awaiting reconnection. Details of locations are being updated on social media, and at www.ssen.co.uk/stormsupport. These are also being shared with local resilience partners.
- We're deploying its own members of staff alongside volunteer teams from the British Red Cross to carry out in-person welfare checks on vulnerable customers without power.
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 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 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.
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.
SSEN’s Head of Customer Operations for the north of Scotland, Nik Wheeler, says:
“With Storm Amy’s damaging and sustained winds finally subsiding, our huge reconnection operation is progressing well, although access challenges due to storm debris and fallen trees remain a concern. There are even more engineers out on the network today than yesterday, thanks to the arrival of dozens more teams from our fellow network operators and contract partners; they’ve come here from all over the country, and we’re grateful for their help.”
“We appreciate that it’s taking some time to identify, access and fix all the damage, due to this storm’s rare intensity and prolonged nature. We don’t take our customers’ patience and understanding for granted, and I want to thank them for bearing with us while we reconnect them as safely and quickly as we can. I’d encourage people to take advantage of the hot meal provision we’re organising if they’re able, and to familiarise themselves with the compensation and reimbursement they may be entitled to.”
📞 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.
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
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.