An ‘army’ of engineers are working across the region to restore power to customers still without power after Storm Eunice.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) says more than 1,000 engineers were continuing to battle harsh weather to restore power to customers affected by Storm Eunice, just as Storm Franklin brought wind speeds of up to 55mph inland and well over 60mph in coastal areas.

As of 8.30pm tonight (February 21), power had been restored to more than 188,000 homes, after Storm Eunice left 1,900 homes without electricity.

The teams will work into the night and through tomorrow in a final push to restore customer supplies, SSEN have confirmed.

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Support measures for people without power

For those who remain without power, the company said it has introduced a number of support measures, including reimbursing the costs of alternative accommodation, a fleet of 12 welfare vans offering hot food and drink across the region, and helping charities and other groups to conduct welfare checks on residents.

Richard Gough, director of distribution system operations, said: “Our teams have been working incredibly hard throughout the day to restore power to customers and ensure they are fully supported.

“We are making good progress despite the impact of Storm Franklin which brought gusts of over 60mph to the region, impacting the ability for our overhead line teams to work at height.

“Bolstered by additional crews arriving from the north of Scotland, we are now entering the final push to clear all larger faults and focus on the pockets of customers in rural areas.”

“I’d like to thank all customers for their patience and understanding and apologise to those who remain off supply. I know it’s incredibly frustrating and inconvenient to be without power for multiple days and I want to reassure customers that we are doing everything we can to get their lights back on.

“I’d also like to recognise the tremendous job our resilience partners, including RE:ACT and ServeOn, are doing in supporting our customers, making door-to-door checks and ensuring people can get the support they need.

“It’s a great example of collaboration and testament to the preparation that is made before a storm like this arrives.”

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How to claim compensation for loss of power

Customers who are eligible for a refund for accommodation should book the accommodation and meals directly and retain all receipts which should then be sent to SSEN for reimbursement via a dedicated web link.

All claims will be processed for reimbursement promptly once full restoration has taken place.

Customers in a vulnerable situation who may find it difficult to organise this for themselves should contact SSEN.

Compensation from energy companies is governed by Guaranteed Standards of Service set by regulator Ofgem.

Customers will be eligible for compensation under Guaranteed Standards if they have been without power for more than 48 hours, where they will be eligible for a payment of £70.

A further £70 will be due for each additional period of 12 hours in which supply is not restored, up to a cap of £700.

Customers do not need to contact their supplier to receive this compensation. The company will automatically issue this by cheque to the address that was impacted by the storms based on the data held. They will send a letter to addresses where this information is incomplete.