Power restored to all homes affected by Storm Arwen, SSEN says

The army was deployed to help residents in north east Scotland.
Engineers worked to restore power (SSEN/PA)
PA Media
Lucinda Cameron5 December 2021

The final properties left without power following Storm Arwen nine days ago have been reconnected.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said power has now been restored to all 135,000 homes affected by the “once in a generation” weather event on November 26.

Most homes had been reconnected by Saturday and engineers made a final push on Sunday to restore power to the remaining 30 or so properties still without electricity.

SSEN said that although power has been fully restored to customers, it will maintain a heavy staff presence across the affected areas, carrying out remedial repairs and maintaining and refuelling any mobile generators as required.

Jim Muir (pictured) and his wife Belinda, were left without power for more than a week at their farm in Maud, Aberdeenshire (Jane Barlow/PA)
PA Wire

Around 1,600 customers endured at least a week without power and the army was deployed to help affected residents in north-east Scotland carrying out door-to-door checks and providing welfare support.

Mark Rough, director of operations for SSEN, said: “In the 35 years that I have worked for SSEN, I can honestly say that this is the worst storm I have ever experienced.

“The extensive damage caused to our network by Storm Arwen has been unprecedented in some areas, with the North East region experiencing the equivalent of almost two years’ worth of overhead line faults in just one 12-hour period.

“I am fully aware of the difficult situation this has caused for many of our customers and am incredibly sorry for the length of time that some our customers have been without power.

“I know that this has been a challenging time for many, and I want to thank everyone for their patience and understanding while our teams battled to restore supplies.

“I’d also like to pay tribute to the hard work of my teams across Scotland and everyone who has supported us, including people from as far afield as Dorset and Dublin. They have done an amazing job in some exceptionally demanding conditions.”

He said this “monumental effort” was supported by great collaborative working with local community groups and government agencies to ensure the safety and welfare of customers and communities.

Regulator Ofgem has launched a review into the response of energy network companies to Storm Arwen.

A £700 cap on compensation has been lifted, allowing those affected to claim £70 for each 12-hour period they are left without power, after an initial £70 for the first 48 hours.

Royal Marines of 45 Command were deployed to help in Aberdeenshire (SAC Aeris Finney RAF/Ministry of Defence/Crown Copyright/PA)
PA Media

SSEN said it also will reimburse all reasonable accommodation and food costs incurred and asks customers to send receipts to claim a refund to Storm.Payments@ssen.co.uk

More wintry weather is expected this week as Storm Barra is set to hit the UK on Tuesday, bringing strong winds and rain, with the rain turning to snow across northern England and Scotland.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning of snow across much of Scotland on Tuesday, which is in force from 11am until midnight.

A yellow warning of wind is in force from 9am until midnight on Tuesday, mainly along the east coast.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Brent Walker said: “A band of rain will turn to snow across northern England and Scotland through Tuesday.

“Two to five centimetres of snow is expected to accumulate quite widely across the warning area, but locally this could reach 10cm, particularly in parts of the Southern Uplands and Highlands.”

SSEN said it is actively tracking and monitoring the weather front that is due to move through the country on Tuesday and will move resources and equipment to locations it believes will see the worst of the weather.

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