Electricity supply to more than 100,000 customers has been restored, with engineers working round the clock in an effort to repair all faults on the network.
The number of customers currently without power stands at 8,900. Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution is hoping to resume their electricity supply by midnight, provided the weather does not impede the good progress engineers have been making. Yesterday atrocious weather conditions – driving snow, sleet, heavy winds, lightning and ice – hampered efforts to access the network for repairs.
SHEPD’s welfare programme continues apace. Since Wednesday customer call centre staff have spoken to around 800 customers who needed a priority service. These calls continue to be made. Teams have also been visiting vulnerable customers, providing them with hot food and drinks, and charging batteries for their emergency “on call” alarms. Other welfare teams have delivered oil for those who have private electrical generators; arranged accommodation for medically-dependent and disabled customers; provided blankets; helped customers with trip switches once power was restored.
Elsewhere mobile catering facilities were despatched to areas worst hit by the storm. The electricity distributor also hired local restaurants and food businesses to provide free hot food and drinks. Twenty thousand meals and 30,000 hot and cold drinks have been served so far.
With the worsening weather picture, SHEPD also boosted the number of engineers. On top of the one thousand technical and support staff, 200 more were drafted in from SHEPD’s sister company in England, and also from other electricity network operators around the UK.
These are the customers currently off supply:
Rural areas around Dingwall 1457 customers
Rural areas around Dunoon 173 customers
Elgin/Huntly 49 customers
Rural areas around Fort William 45 customers
Inverness-shire 1798 customers
Rural areas around Oban 34 customers
Rural areas around Perth 10 customers
Shetland 102 customers
Skye 315 customers
Western Isles 1207 customers
Rural areas around Wick 1858 customers