Power has now been restored to over 120,000 homes across the north of Scotland, with Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution (SHEPD) working to restore some 1,100 customers still without power.
Engineers from SHEPD and its sister organisation in the south Southern Electric Power Distribution (SEPD) have been working around the clock in high winds, rain, sleet, snow, lightning and freezing temperatures and our welfare programme remains in place for those who are awaiting power to be restored, providing them with hot food, drinks and mobile phone charging facilities.
The severe weather conditions, fallen trees and wind borne debris continue to hamper the efforts of engineers as they work to repair damage to the electricity network. Some islands are proving extremely difficult to access as travel by ferry, boat, aircraft or helicopter has been impossible due to the adverse weather, but SHEPD continues to try to gain access by whatever means it takes to make the necessary repairs and restore power.
Call centre colleagues have made thousands of outbound calls to customers without power and over 800 calls to those who are listed on the Priority Services Register, and those calls will continue for customers while they wait to have power restored. Community Liaison teams are working with partner agencies to visit vulnerable customers, providing them with hot food and drinks and charging batteries for their emergency ‘on call’ alarms, and - where possible – customers are being accommodated in nearby hotels. Welfare vans and catering facilities remain in those areas without power and the electricity distributor has hired local restaurants and food businesses to provide free hot food and drinks, in all serving over 20,000 meals and 30,000 hot and cold drinks.
Areas without power this morning are:
| Area | Customers affected |
| Ross-shire/Sutherland | 350 |
| Inverness-shire | 250 |
| Western Isles | 200 |
| Caithness | 350 |
SHEPD would like to assure its customers that it is doing everything possible to reconnect them at the earliest opportunity and thanks them for their patience while work is carried out to restore their power.