Gas supplies to up to around 800 properties in the Winslow area of Buckinghamshire were lost after water entered SGN's gas network, the network operator confirmed. SGN said supplies to properties in the Lowndes Way area of Winslow were affected as a result of water entering its network, following an incident on one of its operational sites.
SGN's updates through the week charted the recovery. On Friday 20 September it said it had extracted over 30,000 litres of water from its gas network in Winslow; by Saturday 21 September the figure was 65,000 litres, by Sunday 22 September 100,000 litres, and by Tuesday 24 September over 130,000 litres since Thursday. Later that day SGN said some 150,000 litres had been removed in total. The operator said progress had been slower than anticipated because water had made its way into individual service pipes, meter boxes and, in some properties, appliances.
The number of homes still without gas fell during the incident. SGN reported 382 properties still without gas, then approximately 230 properties, and around 250 homes at different points in its updates. In its final update on Thursday 26 September 2024, SGN said all affected gas supplies had been restored except for properties its engineers had been unable to access, and that 15 properties had internal issues caused by the water which it was working to resolve directly with those affected.
"We can now confirm that up to around 800 properties in the Winslow area have lost their gas supplies due to water entering our network"
SGN asked customers not to try to turn their own gas supply back on, warning that doing so risked getting water into appliances and damaging them, and said households should wait for a visit from one of its engineers. It advised residents to always ask to see the identification card of anyone calling at their home, noting that all its engineers carry a laminated identity card, and to refuse entry and seek help from a neighbour or relative, or call the number on the card, if in any doubt. Customers whose smart meter was not working after gas was restored were asked to contact their energy supplier. Where a card had been left at a property, SGN asked residents to call the contact number as soon as possible to rearrange a visit.
SGN said customers would receive compensation for the time they were without gas, as agreed with the energy regulator Ofgem: £70 per household for being without gas for more than 24 hours and for each complete 24-hour period without gas. It said the compensation is paid through the energy supplier as a credit on the next bill, is paid automatically without an application, usually takes four to five weeks to be processed, and can sometimes take up to three months to show depending on the supplier's billing cycle.
Why it matters for households
The incident affected homes in the Lowndes Way area of Winslow from around 19 September 2024, with supplies restored through the following week. For households on the priority services register, SGN said portable electric appliances for cooking and heating were available at its customer centre. Showering facilities for affected customers were available at Swan Pool & Leisure Centre from 7.30am to 6.30pm over the weekend, with proof of address required for access, and at Sir Thomas Fremantle Secondary School, Buckingham Road, MK18 3GH, between 5pm and 9pm on one day. SGN's customer centre moved between Winslow Sports and Social Club and Winslow Public Hall, Winslow, MK18 3DG, during the incident. SGN's general gas emergency number is 0800 111 999, and its customer line is 0800 912 1717.
Households can read more on what to do when the mains supply to your home goes off, help from networks during a long outage and which network operator covers your home, with the wider gas and heating failures guide covering preparation.
What happens next
SGN said its final update was published on Thursday 26 September 2024. Households it could not access are asked to call the contact number on the card left at their property to rearrange a visit, and the 15 properties with internal issues are being handled directly with those affected. Compensation is processed automatically through energy suppliers.
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