Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution announced on 27 January 2023 an additional £3.5 million of funding to support customers and communities in areas worst impacted by Storm Arwen, which it says will improve network, personal and community resilience1. The announcement followed a series of community resilience events in Angus, coordinated by Kirriemuir Landward West Community Council, which SSEN supported at Glenisla, Airlie, Kingoldrum and Kilry1.
The £3.5 million breaks down into three parts: £1.8 million of ring-fenced funding for local authorities in the most affected regions; a £500,000 boost to SSEN's Resilient Communities Fund, which the company says brings that fund to a total of £1 million for local community groups and charities; and an additional £1.2 million of network investment in key circuits in the north east of Scotland1.
| Element | Amount |
|---|---|
| Ring-fenced funding for local authorities in most affected regions | £1.8 million |
| Boost to Resilient Communities Fund (total £1 million) | £500,000 |
| Network investment in key circuits in north east Scotland | £1.2 million |
| Total | £3.5 million |
SSEN describes itself as the electricity Distribution Network Operator responsible for delivering power to over 3.8 million homes and businesses across central southern England and the north of Scotland1. Its account of the Angus events states that the area was significantly affected by Storms Arwen, Malik and Corrie in the previous winter, and that many of the communities involved are remote and rural, with properties spread over a large area and very limited access to services during an emergency1.
"SSEN Distribution is investing an additional £3.5 million of funding to support customers and communities in areas worst impacted by Storm Arwen, improving network, personal and community resilience."
The company has not reported in this announcement how households can apply for support, which local authorities will receive the ring-fenced funding, or a timetable for the network investment. Those details have not been reported1.
Why it matters for households
Storm Arwen left parts of Scotland without power for extended periods, and the money announced here is aimed at the same areas. Two of the three elements sit with organisations rather than individual homes: local authorities receive the ring-fenced £1.8 million, and community groups and charities bid into the Resilient Communities Fund1. The £1.2 million of network investment is the part that touches the wires themselves, on key circuits in north east Scotland, which is where the physical resilience of supply is decided1.
For a household, the practical effect of network investment is measured in how a local area holds up when a named storm arrives, and how quickly supply returns if it does not. Community resilience funding works differently, through local groups and halls that may act as points of contact or support during an outage. SSEN's own framing links the two, describing the funding as improving network, personal and community resilience together1. SSEN is one of several distribution networks operating across Great Britain, and the network serving a property depends on where it is; the who is my distribution network operator guide sets out how that is determined, and SSEN: Networks, Storms and Priority Services covers how the company handles storms and priority customers. Broader context on power cuts in Scotland and on energy supply in Scotland explains how generation and networks are arranged north of the border.
What happens next
No dated next steps were given in the announcement. SSEN has not reported when the local authority funding will be allocated, when the Resilient Communities Fund will open or close to applications, or when the network investment on north east Scotland circuits will be completed1.