Power company pledges to reconnect Scotland's homes after Storm Gerrit power cuts

Around 750 remaining households should be back on the grid later according to SSEN

SEEN have been hindered by flooding and debris in rural areas
Published 29th Dec 2023

Engineers say they expect to reconnect any homes in Scotland still without power later today.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) put 46,000 customers back on the grid by late last night after disruption caused by Storm Gerrit.

There are still around 750 properties without power in parts of rural Stirlingshire, Argyll, the North East and parts of Tayside. It’s mostly due to flooding and access issues

Teams are working into to clear debris which is hindering repairs, and SSEN staff are contacting customers to provide updated estimates for power restoration and welfare checks.

As part of SSEN's support package, customers who will be 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.

Customers on SSEN's Priority Service Register (PSR) can claim reasonable costs for alternative accommodation if they expect to be without power for more than 24 hours.

Those not on the PSR who expect to be without power for longer than 48 hours can also benefit from this.

Difficult for communities

Andy Smith, operations director at SSEN Distribution, said: "As stormy conditions have subsided, we've been able to get thousands of customers safely reconnected.

"This has been a difficult couple of days for the communities affected, and I'm grateful to them for their patience and support as our teams work extremely hard to restore power.

"We've targeted our restoration plan on repairing the faults that will reconnect the greatest number of customers, and those who have been without power the longest.

"Where there are complex repairs or very localised faults, we expect around 1,500 homes will be without power overnight. I'd like to reassure our customers that all our resources have been made available for this final push.

"Our established welfare policy is active, offering reimbursement for meals and accommodation, for those who're eligible, and we're speaking to our most vulnerable customers to offer them tailored support.

"Anyone who may need additional help or advice should contact our dedicated teams on the power cut helpline, 105."

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