SSEN Distribution cancelled all major planned outages across the north of Scotland on 12 June 2023 and put additional teams in place, citing an elevated forecast of lightning1. The network operator said its weather model showed the potential for heavy rainfall and lightning across Argyll, the west and central Highlands and north east Scotland from that lunchtime into the early evening1.
The company said the lightning risk carried the possibility of interruptions to supplies, and that the extra teams were there to deal with any damage to the network and subsequent faults1. It also asked people not to approach any damage to its equipment, and to report it by calling 105 or through its Power Track app so engineers could investigate1.
"Due to elevated forecast of lightning, which brings with it the possibility of some interruptions to power supplies, SSEN has cancelled all major planned outages across the north of Scotland today as a precaution and has additional teams in place to deal with any damage to the network and subsequent faults which may occur."
SSEN listed the steps it encouraged customers to take ahead of possible disruption: saving the emergency power cut number, 105, to report a loss of supply or network damage; downloading the Power Track app for details of power cuts and restoration times and to report cuts and damage; using its website for advice or its Webchat service; and following its Facebook and Twitter accounts for updates1.
The company also set out who is eligible for its Priority Services Register. It listed the following groups1:
| Eligible for SSEN's Priority Services Register |
|---|
| Deaf or hard of hearing |
| Have a disability |
| Live with children under five |
| Blind or partially sighted |
| Have a chronic illness |
| Use medical equipment or aids reliant on electricity |
| Over 60 |
SSEN said further information on the register is available on its website or by calling 0800 294 32591.
Why it matters for households
The cancellation of planned outages is a precaution against a weather-driven fault risk, not a response to an outage that had already happened. For a household in the affected areas, the practical effect is that work which would itself have taken the power off was postponed, while the chance of an unplanned cut rose with the lightning forecast1.
The areas named cover Argyll, the west and central Highlands and north east Scotland, a spread that includes mainland and more remote communities served by SSEN's distribution network1. Households in those places depend on the same network for supply, and the guidance issued centres on reporting faults quickly and knowing where restoration times are published1.
The Priority Services Register matters most where a cut would affect someone who relies on electricity for medical equipment or who needs advance notice and extra support. SSEN's eligibility list covers medical equipment and aids reliant on electricity, chronic illness, disability, and households with children under five, among other groups1. Registration is separate from the general reporting line, and the company gave a dedicated number for it1.
For a home's energy independence, the event is a reminder that resilience during a cut rests on what is in place beforehand: a way to report a fault, a way to check restoration times, and, for those who need it, a place on the priority register. The wider picture of how supply is arranged across the country is set out in energy supply in Scotland, and the arrangements that apply when supplies fail are covered in power cuts in Scotland.
What happens next
SSEN said its weather model covered the period from lunchtime into early evening on 12 June 2023, and that additional teams were in place to respond to damage and faults during that window1. No further dates or follow-up statements have been reported1.