SSEN encourages customers still impacted by Storm Arwen to take up welfare offerings
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Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is encouraging customers still without power to take up support with accommodation and meals as it makes progress in restoring customers affected by Storm Arwen.
Further progress in restoring power has been achieved throughout the night, with an additional 3100 customers reconnected since 9pm yesterday evening, including customers located in the following locations:
Alford, Kirkmichael, Old Rayne, Glenkindie, Auchnagatt, Glenisla, Blackhills, Monymusk, Forfar, Cushnie, Muir Of Fowlis, Enochdhu, Oyne, Pitcaple, Forbes, Methlick, Callander, Alyth, New Byth.
As at 12pm this morning, power has been restored to over 121,150 customers in total, with the majority of villages impacted now back on supply. 6400 customers currently remain off supply, mainly located in more rural and isolated communities.
This includes customers in the following regions:Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire: 3700; Moray: 1022; Angus: 1178; Perthshire: 300; Stirlingshire: 200.
All available resources have been deployed to carry out repairs and reconnect supplies to those areas still of supply, with around 850 field and support staff doing all they can to restore power to those who remain off supply as quickly as possible.
Whilst SSEN expects to make further good progress throughout the day, for some customers where overhead network infrastructure connects single house or group of houses, restoration times will regrettably extend beyond today.
SSEN expects to restore power to all homes affected by Friday at the latest, subject to no new damage being identified or unforeseen challenges with repairs and restorations.
The impact of Storm Arwen is a once in a generation event, resulting in over five times as many faults as any previous weather event in the area in the last 20 years and SSEN’s network engineers reporting unprecedented damage to parts of the network in the north-east, with over 1000 faults recorded and many more instances of damage to network infrastructure.
Access has been a real challenge throughout the event, from road closures due to fallen trees in the first few days, challenging weather conditions, with engineers having to clear dozens of trees in places just to access damage to the network.
SSEN fully appreciates the challenges being faced by customers who have been off supply since the start of the storm and whilst its teams continue to carry out repairs to damaged electricity infrastructure and restore power to the remaining homes, SSEN is actively encouraging all customers who remain off supply to take advantage of enhanced welfare provisions.
If any customer is without power and is unable to make alternative arrangements to stay with family or a friend, SSEN will reimburse all reasonable costs for alternative accommodation.
Customers who can coordinate this themselves are encouraged to do so and send receipts to SSEN for reimbursement.
Anyone who may need support in arranging alternative accommodation should call SSEN’s contact centre on 105.
Customers can also continue to access SSEN’s welfare facilities for free hot food and drinks, as well as claim the cost of takeaways or meals from local establishments, up to £15 per person.
Other reasonable costs incurred by customers impacted by Storm Arwen will also be considered and customers are asked to retain their receipts in order to obtain reimbursement.
Chris Burchell, SSEN’s managing director, said: “The impact of Storm Arwen has caused catastrophic damage to the electricity network across the north east of Scotland and is the most significant event we have ever had to deal with in the area in a generation.
“I would like to thank our customers who have shown great resilience, patience and understanding since the impact of Storm Arwen and we fully recognise that urgency of the situation for those who continue to remain off supply.
"I would like to personally apologise to all customers who have been impacted and would like to reassure everyone still off supply that our teams are working extremely hard to reconnect them as soon as possible.
“Whilst our teams continue to make good progress carrying out repairs and restoring power to homes, due to the extent of damage and complexity of repairs our teams are dealing with, unfortunately restoration times for more remote and isolated communities will extend to later this week.
“We therefore encourage all customers who remain off supply to consider our welfare provisions, which we hope will go some way to help them deal with what remains an incredibly difficult situation.
“I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to our local and national resilience partners and stakeholders - including local community groups and charities, local and national governments and elected members - for their continued support and help in responding to the impacts of Storm Arwen.
Rest Centres have been established at the following locations and will remain in place between 8am and 10pm (unless stated otherwise) until customers in those locations have been restored:
Ballater, Victoria and Albert Hall
Boyndie, Boyndie Hilton Hall
Gartly, Gartly Community Hall
In addition, the following welfare facilities will continue to support customers who remain off supply, providing hot food and drinks from 8am to until 10pm. Teams from SSEN are using 4X4 vehicles to deliver hot food and drinks to customers in some of the more remote and isolated communities:
Aboyne, Park Hotel car park
Alford, Transport Museum Car Park
Bogniebrae, Bognie Arms car park
Kintore , The Primary School
Ladysbridge, the Park
Lumphanan, Village Hall
Strathdon, Layby at Bellabeg
Tarland, The Square (11am-10pm)
Torphins, The Square
Turriff, Tesco Car Park
Whitehills, The Knowes Hotel (12pm-8pm)
Extensive welfare facilities and resilience services are also being provided by the following Local Authorities:
Aberdeenshire Council: https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/Apps/News/release.aspx?newsID=8361
