SP Energy Networks issues power cut safety advice to residents in Cheshire during Storm Isha

SP Energy Networks has issued advice to help customers stay safe in the event of a power cut caused by forecast heavy rain and winds from Storm Isha over the coming days.

The Met Office has issued yellow and amber weather warnings for parts of the UK on Sunday and Monday with conditions expected to cause traffic delays and cancellations to transport services, with the potential for power supplies and mobile phone coverage to be affected.

SP Energy Networks works 24/7 to protect network resilience during extreme weather to help reduce the chance of power loss and always responds to any issues as quickly as possible. Even with these preparations, there may be some damage to power lines and fallen trees or flooding which can cause access issues for engineers.

As a result, residents in across the country are being encouraged to prepare for some significant disruption.

Guy Jefferson, Chief Operating Officer at SP Energy Networks, said:

“Due to the potential for damage to our power lines, power cuts become more likely in high winds. It’s important our customers across the regions are fully prepared, just in case.

“We’re currently mobilising teams of engineers to areas where we expect Storm Isha to have the most impact and our teams are on hand 24/7 to help all of our customers should they find themselves without power. The sooner we know about a power cut, the quicker we can begin work to get electricity restored, so if you experience a power outage, please report it to us by calling the free, national emergency helpline 105.”

SP Energy Networks’ top tips for being prepared are:

•     Have the national 105 emergency helpline on hand – it’s best to keep this on the fridge or saved in the contacts on your mobile phone.

•     Store a battery or wind-up torch – leave this somewhere you can access easily so you can use the torch to check on the fuse box and make your way around the house safely.

•     Beware of fallen power lines – power lines may have fallen because of high winds so beware of this when venturing out of your home. Do not approach, and call 105 to report a fallen power line

•     Keep your mobile charged – having your mobile phone charged means you can  call  the national 105 emergency helpline. It’s also worth having an analogue phone as this doesn’t run off the main electricity supply.

•     Join the free Priority Services Register – if electricity is crucial to your health (for instance, if you use medical equipment at home) if you have a child aged five or under, or if you just feel you need a little extra help, ask to be included on SP Energy Networks’ Priority Services Register by calling 0330 1010 167 or text PSR to 61999.

For more information on what to do in the event of a power emergency, visit:

http://www.spenergynetworks.co.uk

In the event of a power cut call the national 105 emergency helpline.

SP Energy Networks:

As a distribution and transmission network operator SP Energy Networks keeps electricity flowing to over 6m customers across 3.5m homes and businesses throughout Central & Southern Scotland and Merseyside, Cheshire, North & Mid-Wales and North Shropshire. We do this through our network of over 110,000km of power cables and 30,000 substations across our licence areas and we are investing approximately £7 billion into the electricity network to create a better future, quicker for our customers and communities.