Shetland severe weather – 1pm update

Engineers from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution and partners are back out in force today (Friday) to restore power to homes and businesses across Shetland.

As of 1pm today, c.1,600 properties remain without power in parts of Voe, Brae and West Mainland. Following the arrival of additional crews and equipment overnight, around 150 engineers are now battling snow and ice to rebuild Shetland’s overhead power lines and reconnect properties to the network.

Subject to no unforeseen challenges, we continue to target the restoration of the majority of supplies by Sunday. It is anticipated that some small clusters of properties in the West Mainland, particularly west of Bixter, will be reconnected on Monday. With additional crews arriving this morning to support the restoration effort, we continue to make every possible effort to improve on this timescale.

An updated list of locations, customer numbers connected to each circuit and the final estimated times of restoration (ETR) can be found below. The ETRs listed are for final reconnection of all customers on each circuit, some properties will have their power restored prior to this ETR.

Restoration is prioritised by many factors, including the extent of damage, the ability to re-route the network and the potential to connect mobile generation to restore supplies:

The collaborative effort to provide welfare for local communities continues, with additional food deliveries being sent out today to warm hubs offering hot drinks, kitchen facilities, fuel, broadband connections and a warm space for residents. An updated list of welfare hubs for today (Friday 16 December) is available here.

Mark Macdonald, Head of Region at SSEN Distribution, said:

“Teams of engineers have been out in force since first light this morning to continue restoring power to homes and businesses across Shetland. We’d like to thank our customers for their patience and reassure them that an increased 150-strong team is out across the islands today working to reconnect supplies as quickly as possible.

“We expect to make sustained progress throughout the day, reconnecting customers area-by-area by rebuilding sections of network, connecting mobile generation and undertaking engineering solutions to restore power faster, before making permanent repairs.

“We recognise that although the community spirit is still strong across the islands, customers experiencing a prolonged loss of power will face new challenges each day. I’d continue to encourage customers to take advantage of the warm hubs set up in collaboration with Shetland Islands Council and our resilience partners and urge anyone who needs additional support to call us straight away on 105.”

We note weather warnings issued by the Met Office and we continue to monitor forecasts to assess the potential impact of further adverse weather conditions on our network and our restoration efforts.

The next update will be provided later today.

Additional advice for customers

Compensation

Customers will be entitled to compensation under regulated Guaranteed Standards. This process is automatic and will be processed as quickly as possible in the weeks after the event. The amount of compensation due will vary according to how long a customer has been off supply and the extent of the weather-related incident, which is still being assessed. Further detail on the compensation process will follow alongside direct communication with customers.

Reimbursement

Customers currently without power are reminded that we are offering to reimburse reasonable food costs for a hot meal if customers are unable to access the welfare locations attached. Customers can claim up to £30 per person for every 24 hours they’re without power (from 3pm on Tuesday 13 December).

We’re also offering to reimburse reasonable costs for alternative accommodation if customers are unable to make arrangements to travel and stay with a family member or friend.

How to claim reimbursement costs:

To make a reimbursement claim in line with the guidance above, please visit this page. After inserting and confirming your details, choose ‘power cut’ and ‘reimbursement’ on the drop-down menus, attach your receipts and submit. Anyone who may need support to process claims should call our customer contact centre on 105, where our dedicated teams will be happy to raise a claim manually on your behalf.

Safety and how to keep up-to-date

We are urging people not to approach any damaged equipment and instead, to report it by calling 105 or via our Power Track App and engineers will investigate as soon as possible.

Customers are also being encouraged to be prepared for the possibility of continued disruption to supplies by:

• Saving the emergency power cut number – 105 – to your phone to use if your power goes off, or if you see any damage to the electricity network
• Downloading SSEN’s Power Track app to give you details of power cuts and restoration times. You can also report power cuts and network damage through the Power Track app
• Going to SSEN’s website where there is a wealth of advice and information on how to prepare for a possible loss of power
• Following SSEN on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates

Priority Services Register

SSEN’s Priority Services Register (PSR) provides extra help and support during a power cut. Customers are eligible for our free 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
• Temporarily need extra support

To find out more about the PSR, click here or call 0800 294 3259.