Cadent Gas double number of engineers to 200 to get gas back on in Stannington
Over 1,000 homes are still without heating and hot water following the burst water main at the weekend
Last updated 8th Dec 2022
Council leaders said they are "deeply concerned" about plummeting temperatures after they declared a major incident in a Sheffield suburb which has had no gas for six days.
People living in the Stannington area have been told they may be without gas heating and cooking appliances until the weekend after a water main burst on Friday night, sending hundreds of thousands of litres of water into the gas network.
Around 2,000 homes have been affected in the suburb, which rises to around 800ft above sea level and saw temperatures drop below freezing on Tuesday night.
Cadent Gas say over 200 engineers are back in Stannington today (Thursday, 8 December) to restore gas to over 1,000 homes.
Stannington resident Christine Vickers said: "We're worrying because the temperatures are dropping quite drastically.
"We get a lot of snow up here in Stannington and they are forecasting snow.
"So, a lot of people are getting concerned that we've not got showers and heating and everything for when the snow comes."
Ms Vickers said the elderly people she looks after in a sheltered housing block are worried about their electricity bills as they are using heaters to keep warm.
She said: "I've been saying to them: 'Please use your heating, don't get cold and you'll get some compensation.'
"But they are all worrying. They're worrying about their bills."
Tim Jones said he has been looking after his 78-year-old mother who is recovering from cancer in her Stannington maisonette and has received electrical appliances from Cadent, including an electric blanket
Mr Jones said: "I know Sheffield City Council has made it a national emergency and the Red Cross have been drafted in.
"When the Red Cross get drafted in, it's usually a serious incident."
Cadent spokeswoman Stephanie Van Rosse said around 40% of the affected properties had been reconnected and she was hopeful the majority of households will be reconnected in the next day or so.
Ms Van Rosse said the key part of the operation was getting the water out of the gas pipes and she said there were now 15 tankers in Stannington with 200 engineers pumping around 200,000 litres a day.
She said: "We should get people back on over the next day or so.
"Please bear with us. We know it's cold but we are doing everything we can to get you back on gas as quickly as possible."
Ms Van Rosse said the priority has been to look after the elderly and vulnerable and staff have been going from house-to-house to check on residents and hand out appliances.
Some locals said they have been told to try and limit non-essential electricity use due to the amount of appliances being switched on and some streets have seen blackouts.
Many residents blamed Yorkshire Water for the incident, saying the water main burst near the Rose and Crown pub was the latest in a series in the village.
Yorkshire Water said in a statement: "Burst pipes can happen for a number of reasons - often related to a change in temperature or pressure within the pipe. We constantly monitor our pipes so that we can reduce the risk of bursts, and the pipe in Stannington hasn't burst in almost a decade.
"Unfortunately, on this occasion, the burst water main has impacted gas pipes that were laid nearby.
"Cadent, with the support of our teams and service partners, are working around the clock to pump water out of the gas pipes and ensure it is safe to reconnect supply to customers properties."