REGULATOR Ofgem has launched an “urgent” review into the response of energy network companies to Storm Arwen which has left some people without power for a week.
A £700 cap on compensation has also been lifted, allowing those affected to claim £70 for each 12-hour period they are left without power, after an initial £70 for the first 48 hours.
The army has been deployed to help residents in Scotland and England who have been off supply for a week since the storm on Friday November 26 caused “catastrophic damage” to the electricity network.
Ofgem said that around 10,500 people are still without power in some parts of Scotland and the north of England.
READ MORE: Police name man killed when tree fell on truck during Storm Arwen
The regulator said its review will establish the facts about the response and if necessary it will pursue further enforcement action.
Jonathan Brearley, Ofgem’s chief executive, said: “We understand this is a really worrying time for people who are without heat and power as the severity of Storm Arwen has hit homes and businesses in the North of England and Scotland.
"The effects of Storm Arwen are still being felt with 10,500 homes still without power.
“We accept the network companies have been working in challenging conditions, but until every home in Britain has power restored, that relentless effort must continue.
“We are launching a review into how the storm has been handled. We have strict rules on how network companies need to operate in these circumstances and we will take action if needed.”
He added: “I’ve launched an urgent review to see if there are things that the industry could learn from this response in order to improve our support to consumers in the future.”
The review will focus on the role of the network companies in maintaining the resilience of the system and their emergency response, including their communications with customers.
Around 130 troops have been sent to carry out door-to-door checks and offer welfare support in the northeast of Scotland, where around 1,600 Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) customers remained off supply at 10am on Friday.
READ MORE: Military helping communities still without power after Storm Arwen
South of the Border, Durham County Council said around 100 servicemen and women will be based in Weardale to help local people.
Northern Powergrid, the electricity distribution network operator for the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, said 6000 customers remained off supply at 11pm on Thursday, though power has been restored to 234,000 others since Storm Arwen swept across the country on Friday November 26.
SSEN said it expects to restore power to 1100 homes throughout the course of Friday and into the evening, where it remains safe for work to continue and subject to no unforeseen difficulties with ongoing repairs.
Around 500 customers are expected to be reconnected throughout the course of Saturday.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel