About 10,500 homes remain without electricity a week after the storm hit, the energy watchdog says.
Image source, Electricty North West
Power networks’ response to the damage caused by Storm Arwen will be reviewed by energy regulator Ofgem.
About 10,500 homes remain without electricity in northern England and Scotland, a week after the storm hit.
The watchdog’s review will focus on the resilience of the system and the network companies’ emergency response.
While firms have helped provide food and emergency accommodation, residents have criticised them for their communication following the storm.
Three people died after Storm Arwen brought gale force winds and cold temperatures to parts of the UK on 26 November.
Since then welfare centres have been set up in the worst affected areas and military personnel have been deployed to offer support on both sides of the border.
A £700 cap on compensation has 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.
Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley said it was a “really worrying time” for people in the 10,500 homes still without power.
He said the energy watchdog accepted that network companies had been working in “challenging conditions” but that the “relentless effort” must continue until every home in Britain had power restored.
He added there were strict rules on how network companies need to operate in such circumstances and Ofgem would take action if needed.
Energy minister Greg Hands told BBC Radio 4’s The World At One that it was “fair to say that communications were not great in the first couple of days”. He said this would form part of an industry and government review of the handling of the storm.
About 130 military personnel have been carrying out welfare checks and offering support in north-east Scotland, where some 1,600 Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) customers remain off supply, as of 10:00 GMT on Friday.
Durham County Council – which has declared a major incident, meaning it can call on more support – said more than 100 troops were offering support in the region.
Northumberland County Council has also declared a major incident due to ongoing concerns for those without power and, in some cases, without water as well.
About 6,000 Northern Powergrid and 1,700 Electricity North West customers in Cumbria have no power supply.
In Scotland, SSEN said it expected to restore power to 1,100 homes throughout Friday and around 500 customers are expected to be reconnected throughout the course of Saturday.
A spokesman said the company welcomed the Ofgem review and that its focus was on reconnecting remaining customers without power.
SSEN will conduct its own internal review, he added.
Power networks have offered hot food vans and paid for emergency accommodation in some cases. But they have been criticised by residents for their communication.
Dr Lily Fulton-Humble, from Alnwick, Northumberland, said Northern Powergrid “could have admitted early on that they were in over their head” and called for more volunteers to help.
And Dr Terry Murphy, from Bishop Auckland in County Durham, said there was a “great deal of concern” about the network’s strategies.
“If you’re constantly telling vulnerable people that power will be on in a few hours, they’re making bad decisions because you’re giving them the wrong information,” he said.
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