STORM ÉOWYN: When Ross-shire homes hit can expect to have power restored and who can claim compensation

HOMES across Ross-shire have tonight been plunged into darkness amidst exceptionally strong winds which have wreaked havoc across the country.

Some customers are already being advised not to expect power to be restored before 10pm on Saturday night after damage caused by gusts of up to 100mph while hopes are high others will be back on supply by midnight.

With engineers flat out assessing damage, it remains an uncertain pictures for many as energy bosses attempt to work remotely to “move the network around” in a bid to restore as many customers as possible.

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Areas affected now

Affected areas tonight hit by electricity power loss due to Storm Éowyn include Contin, Fearn, Edderton, Ardvannie, and Aultnamain.

Ross-shire postcodes affected include:

IV14 9ES

IV19 1JU

IV19 1JY

IV19 1JZ

IV19 1LA

IV19 1LB

IV19 1LD

IV19 1LE

IV19 1LF

IV19 1LH

IV19 1LN

IV19 1LQ

IV20 1XP

Elphin in Sutherland and Portree on Skye are amongst other areas affected.

Hardest hit in Scotland has been the central belt where thousands are without power tonight.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), the electricity distribution arm of energy firm SSE, said earlier that tens of thousands of homes had been left without power as a result of “exceptionally strong” winds from Storm Éowyn.

What is SSEN saying about it?

SSEN said its teams have worked hard all day to restore supplies - including through remote switching, which transfers many customers’ supplies to an unaffected circuit. But it said: “Today’s exceptional wind speeds and challenging conditions mean it’s likely to take a number of days for engineers to be able to safely complete all necessary repairs on affected parts of the network.

“This storm is still moving across much of Scotland tonight, but once the full impact of Éowyn becomes clear, we’ll be able to assess the full extent of the repairs that will be needed. This will inform any updates to restoration times that are being issued.”

The size of the response team is now at least 10 times the usual level.

How is SSEN responding?

Earlier, SSEN shared the steps it has taken to help the country weather the storm. This includes:

Many more engineers in place across the network where the impact is greatest; “they’ll fix faults as safely and as quickly as they can”.

Crews from SSEN’s sister network area in central southern England are also on their way to support the response.

Extra operators are in the control room, to reroute the network around faults. In many cases, this can be done relatively quickly, meaning shorter interruptions to supplies.

The team in SSEN’s customer contact centre has been bolstered significantly, to handle the increase in the volume of calls coming in from customers, and to respond to messages sent in via social media.

Additional tree-cutting teams are being deployed to assist engineers in accessing faults on the network; the high winds have brought many trees down, and this is causing access issues not only for SSEN, but for other essential services too.

Text messages have been sent to almost 170,000 more vulnerable customers in the north of Scotland, giving them help and advice on how to in case they lose power. Telephone calls have also been made to the most vulnerable in worst-hit areas, to offer additional support.

How can you claim compensation?

As part of a wider support package, customers who’ve 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.

SSEN’s director of customer operations for the north of Scotland, Andy Smith, said: “It’s been a day of sustained storm-force winds, the like of which we’ve not seen here for many years. Storm Éowyn has significantly affected the electricity network across Scotland.

“We’re now getting a fuller picture of the extent of damage caused by this storm, and what we’re finding indicates that some major repairs will need to be carried out. As soon as these dangerous winds subside, we’ll get to work on the network and do this as safely and as quickly as we can.

“However, in some cases, it’s likely to take a few days to fully restore supplies. We’ll do all we can to support our customers and communities while we carry out these repairs, and I’d like to thank people for their patience while works are completed.”

Help and advice for customers

If you see any damage to equipment, please stay back, don’t touch it and instead report it by calling 105, or via the Power Track website, and engineers will investigate as soon as possible.

Customers are also being encouraged to be prepared for the possibility of disruption to supplies by:

Saving the emergency power cut number - '105' - to your phone to report any loss of supply or damage to the electricity network

Visiting the Power Track website to get details of power cuts and restoration times.

Customers are also eligible for the Priority Services Register (PSR) if they:

Are deaf or hard of hearing

Have a disability

Live with children under five

Are blind or partially-sighted

Have a chronic illness

Use medical equipment/aids reliant on electricity

Are over 60.

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

Weather warning still in place

Meanwhile, an Amber warning of wind remains in place across the Highlands until 6am on Saturday.

Storm Éowyn is expected to bring widespread disruption into early Saturday with flying debris likely with the potential to cause injuries or danger to life.

Damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs, is also flagged along with longer journey times and cancellations.

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