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We’ve moved to Weather Warning status in our central southern England network area due to extremely high temperatures and the possibility of lightning forecast from Wednesday to Friday.
This heightened alert level indicates the likelihood of disruption that this severe weather could cause, and the extra measures we’re taking in response.
The Met Office has issued its own Red weather warning for extreme temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday.
🌩️ How extreme temperatures and lightning could affect the network
Our network is designed to withstand the effects of our variable and increasingly-volatile climate. However, prolonged periods of extreme heat can temporarily affect the normal running of infrastructure, and the temperatures forecast for this week are particularly intense.
Much of our network is designed with advanced technology built-in, so that if lightning strikes the infrastructure, it automatically shuts down for a brief period to allow a series of safety checks to take place. If the integrity of the network is confirmed, supplies will often be re-established at that point. Customers may notice only short interruptions to their power supply.
Over the past five years, protection technology has been installed in parts of our network where the impact from lightning has been more common.
However, severe lightning strikes can affect the network for longer periods, if damage is caused to lines, poles, and equipment in substations and transformers. Fuse replacements on the network may also need to be carried out.
👷 How we’re responding
We’ve been monitoring this weather for several days, and we’re preparing for the likelihood of network disruption. We’re bringing in additional control engineers, preparing our supplies of replacement components, and putting extra teams on standby to repair any faults as soon as it’s safe to do so.
Extra call handlers are being brought in to manage an expected increase in the number of customer calls and messages to us on social media, while our dedicated Priority Services team will be ready to support customers in vulnerable situations.
The way lightning can affect the network means it’s important that customers call us free on 105 or contact us via the PowerTrack website or app if their power supply remains off for any length of time.
📞 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.
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 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.
Find out more about SSEN's Priority Services 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 (ssencommunity) for regular updates.
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Get extra support during a power cut
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
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.