In response to a 2021/22 winter of consecutive exceptional weather events, SSEN Distribution teams worked tirelessly to maintain supply with a particular focus on supporting isolated and vulnerable customers. Between November 2021 and February 2022, SSE’s network areas in both north and south were tested by six exceptional weather events, including back-to-back named storms with three storms occurring in just one week.
In the aftermath of storms Arwen, Malik, Corrie and Eunice, around 430,000 customers were affected and SSEN’s Priority Services Register, which had been extended in response to the coronavirus pandemic, was used extensively by dedicated outreach teams to proactively engage via phone and text message with vulnerable customers. Engagement with impacted customers was further enhanced on the ground by good attendance at around 90 Local Resilience Partnership meetings. In addition to the reconnection efforts by operational teams, localised support was provided through door-to-door welfare checks and the provision of more than 140,000 hot meals and drinks.
In recognition of the hardship caused for customers by these extreme weather events, SSEN has boosted its Resilient Communities Fund to a total of £2m across licence areas.