SSEN restores power to 37,000 customers after Storm Babet

SSEN Distribution said on 21 October 2023 that it had restored supplies to 37,000 customers who lost power following Storm Babet, with more than two-thirds of them reconnected within three hours. The network operator said it had fixed over 450 network faults over the previous three days, describing it as one of the most challenging storms the network has faced in recent years¹.

The response involved a team of 600 people, ten times the size of SSEN's normal day-to-day operations, and an on-the-ground welfare operation that served more than 2,000 hot meals to people in affected areas¹. SSEN said its teams continue to work as part of the Local Resilience Partnership to support people in Brechin, where remaining floodwater in the town and damage within properties mean connections cannot be restored safely at this time to around 150 properties. The company said it is working with authorities through the partnership to understand when power can be restored safely¹.

SSEN asked customers who are still without supply and have not been contacted to call 105 to report the fault, noting it may be a very localised issue not visible on central systems. It said Smart Meter data can now provide a useful indicator of whether someone's supply has been reconnected¹.

Why it matters for households

Households that lost 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, according to SSEN. Customers should keep hold of receipts and claim costs back at ssen.co.uk/stormclaim¹. Once final fault assessments are carried out, customers affected for over 48 hours will be entitled to compensation under the regulated Guaranteed Standards of Performance: £80 for interruptions over 48 hours, with a further £40 for every subsequent six-hour period off supply, up to a maximum of £2,000. SSEN said customers do not need to contact it to request this compensation, as the process is automatic and will be processed in the weeks after the event¹.

SSEN's free Priority Services Register provides extra help and support during a power cut. The company lists eligibility as: being over 60; having a disability; being deaf or hard of hearing; living with children under five; being blind or partially sighted; having a chronic illness; using medical equipment or aids reliant on electricity; or temporarily needing extra support. The register can be reached on 0800 294 3259¹.

SSEN advises people not to go near any damaged equipment and instead to report it by calling 105 or via its Power Track website, so engineers can investigate as soon as possible. It also advises saving the emergency power cut number, 105, to your phone for use if power goes off or if damage to the electricity network is seen, and using the Power Track website or app for details of power cuts and restoration times¹. Background on how storms affect supplies is set out in the guide to storms and the electricity network, with further material in the power cuts hub and the storms and snow hub.

What happens next

SSEN said it is working closely with authorities through the Local Resilience Partnership to understand when power can be restored safely to the approximately 150 properties in Brechin still unable to be reconnected¹. Compensation under the Guaranteed Standards of Performance will be processed automatically in the weeks after the event, once final fault assessments are carried out¹.