Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has successfully restored power to customers who lost supply following the impact of Storm Babet.

This prolonged severe weather has posed considerable challenges, but SSEN has responded quickly, restoring supplies to 37,000 customers, with more than two-thirds of them being re-connected within 3 hours. SSEN has fixed over 450 network faults over the past three days, making this one of the most challenging storms the network has faced in recent years.

In mobilising its response, SSEN deployed a six-hundred strong team, ten times the size of its normal day-to-day operations, which enabled faults to be fixed quickly and safely. Teams have proactively supported customers throughout the weather event, prioritising the most vulnerable in our communities. This has included an extensive on-the ground welfare operation, serving more than 2,000 hot meals to people in affected areas.

SSEN Distribution teams continue to work as part of the Local Resilience Partnership to support people in Brechin. The remaining floodwater in the town, and the damage within properties, means connections cannot be restored safely at this time to around 150 properties. SSEN is working closely with authorities through the Local Resilience Partnership to understand when power can be restored safely.

Andy Smith, Operations Director at SSEN Distribution, says:
“This was a damaging storm, but I am proud of our strong, decisive response.”

“I would like to thank our customers for their patience while we’ve worked tirelessly to get them reconnected. We’ve got connections restored quickly and safely, while supporting all of our customers, in particular the most vulnerable, and the few who’ve faced prolonged outages.”

“I am grateful to our teams here at SSEN Distribution for their hard work and support, and I’d also like to thank our contractors, network partners and our fellow members of the Local Resilience Partnership for their unwavering support during this period.”

SSEN Distribution is grateful for the help of residents in identifying any ongoing isolated outages. Smart Meter data can now provide a useful indicator if someone’s supply has been reconnected, but if any customers are still without supplies and haven’t been contacted by us, please call SSEN free at any time on 105 to report your fault. It may a very localised issue, not visible on central systems.

As part of our support package for customers impacted by power cuts, people who have had no 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. People should keep hold of receipts and claim costs back at www.ssen.co.uk/stormclaim

Once final fault assessments are carried out, any customers impacted for over 48 hours will be entitled to compensation under the regulated Guaranteed Standards of Performance. For power interruptions over 48 hours, customers will receive £80, with a further £40 for every subsequent 6-hour period they were off supply (up to a maximum of £2000). Customers do not need to contact SSEN to request compensation. This process is automatic and will be processed as quickly as possible in the weeks after the event.

Advice for customers

You can prepare for the possibility of ongoing 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

  • Visiting our Power Track website to get details on power cuts and restoration times, as well as to report power cuts and network damage. Or you can download the Power Track app on Apple or Android

  • Follow us on our social media channels for further updates

We urge people not to go near any damaged equipment and instead, to report it by calling 105 or via our Power Track Website and engineers will investigate as soon as possible.

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 over 60
• Have a disability
• Are deaf or hard of hearing
• Live with children under five
• Are blind or partially sighted
• Have a chronic illness
• Use medical equipment/aids reliant on electricity
• Temporarily need extra support

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