Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said on 21 October 2023 that it had restored supplies to 37,000 customers affected by Storm Babet, with more than two-thirds of those reconnected within three hours1. The network operator reported fixing over 450 network faults across the previous three days, describing the event as one of the most challenging storms its network has faced in recent years1.
SSEN deployed a team of six hundred, ten times the size of its normal day-to-day operations, and served more than 2,000 hot meals to people in affected areas1. Work continues in Brechin, where remaining floodwater and damage inside properties mean connections cannot be restored safely at this time to around 150 properties1. SSEN said it is working with authorities through the Local Resilience Partnership to establish when power can be restored safely there1.
Andy Smith, Operations Director at SSEN Distribution, said:
"This was a damaging storm, but I am proud of our strong, decisive response."
On payments, SSEN said customers who have had no power for more than 12 hours are entitled to £30 per person for every day without power, to cover the cost of food and drink, with receipts retained and costs claimed back1. Under the regulated Guaranteed Standards of Performance, interruptions over 48 hours carry £80, with a further £40 for every subsequent six-hour period off supply, up to a maximum of £2,0001. SSEN said customers do not need to contact it to request this compensation, as the process is automatic and will be processed in the weeks after the event1.
| Payment | Trigger | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Welfare payment | No power for more than 12 hours | £30 per person per day without power |
| Guaranteed Standards payment | Interruption over 48 hours | £80 |
| Guaranteed Standards payment | Each subsequent 6-hour period off supply | £40, up to a maximum of £2,000 |
SSEN also said smart meter data can now provide a useful indicator of whether someone's supply has been reconnected, and asked customers still without power who have not been contacted to call 105 free at any time1. It said the cause may be a very localised issue not visible on central systems1.
Why it matters for households
Storm Babet shows how quickly a single weather event can move a household from a normal supply to a multi-day outage, and how long reconnection can take where flooding has damaged properties as well as the network. For the roughly 150 properties in Brechin, the delay is not a matter of repair capacity but of safety: power cannot be restored while floodwater remains and while damage inside buildings is assessed1. Households elsewhere on the SSEN network were reconnected far faster, with more than two-thirds back within three hours1.
The event also sets out what a household can expect financially. The £30 per person per day welfare payment is separate from the Guaranteed Standards compensation, and the latter is automatic rather than claim-based1. Households that depend on electricity for medical equipment, or that include people over 60, those with a disability, those who are deaf or hard of hearing, households with children under five, those who are blind or partially sighted, those with a chronic illness, or those who temporarily need extra support, are eligible for SSEN's free priority services1. Details of how networks handle storms and priority support are set out in the guide to SSEN: Networks, Storms and Priority Services.
For homes that want to keep some supply during an outage, the options and their limits are covered in the backup-power hub, including Backup Power by Home Type: Flats, Rural Homes and Off-Grid Properties and Backup Power Costs Compared: Power Stations, UPS, Generators and Batteries. Households weighing whether an outage is covered by their policy can find the process described in Claiming on insurance after a power cut.
What happens next
SSEN said final fault assessments will be carried out, after which customers impacted for over 48 hours will be entitled to compensation under the Guaranteed Standards of Performance, processed automatically in the weeks after the event1. It said it continues to work with the Local Resilience Partnership to understand when power can be restored safely to the remaining properties in Brechin1. No date has been reported for when those connections will be restored.
Sources1 cited
- Homes reconnected following Storm Babet - SSEN, ssen.co.uk