High winds cut power to over 25,000 homes and businesses in the north of Scotland

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution said it had restored power to over 25,000 homes and businesses that lost supplies during severe weather on Thursday 21 December 2023 across the north of Scotland¹. The company reported the restoration in a statement published on 22 December 2023¹.

Around 18,000 customers on the Western Isles and Skye lost power because of a fault on the SSEN Transmission network early on Thursday morning¹. SSEN said that through the quick deployment of on-island generation stations most of those customers experienced only a short interruption, and that a permanent repair to the transmission network was expected to be completed on 22 December¹.

Recorded wind speeds were in line with the forecast, with gusts of up to 80mph in the Northern and Western Isles and 70mph in the north of mainland Scotland¹. SSEN said its network stood up well to several hours of sustained gale-force winds, and that its operational teams acted quickly to fix faults and carry out repairs where necessary¹.

SSEN's customer contact centre brought in extra staff to handle an anticipated increase in calls, and agents handled more than 1,400 calls from customers in the north of Scotland throughout the day¹. There were also more than 20,000 visits to SSEN's Power Track website¹.

Why it matters for households

The interruption affected households and businesses across the Western Isles, Skye and the north of mainland Scotland, with the largest single loss of supply, around 18,000 customers, following the transmission fault early on Thursday¹. SSEN said most of those affected by that fault had a short interruption because on-island generation was brought into use¹. The company has not reported how long the remaining customers were off supply, and no figure for households still without power at the time of the statement has been published¹.

With more high winds forecast for the coming days, SSEN reminded customers that if they come across any damaged equipment they should not touch it, and should instead report it directly by calling 105 or via the Power Track website, where engineers will investigate as soon as possible¹. The company said customers could keep up to date with its latest news at ssen.co.uk/storm¹.

Households wanting background on how weather damages overhead lines and substations can read why the electricity goes off: faults, weather and damage, and on how networks prepare and restore supplies in storms and the electricity network. Practical guidance on what happens during an interruption is set out in Power Cuts: A Household Guide.

What happens next

SSEN said a permanent repair to the transmission network was expected to be completed on 22 December 2023¹. The company has not reported in this statement any further scheduled work or compensation arrangements, and none has been reported elsewhere.