Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said it had restored power to almost 25,000 customers after Storm Ciarán brought high winds to central southern England from late on Wednesday 1 November 2023. In an update published on 2 November, the distribution network operator said that as of noon that day its teams were still working to reconnect around 2,000 customers who remained without power1.
SSEN reported that the storm followed its forecast route, with the worst winds affecting coastal areas. Gusts of almost 70mph were recorded on the Isle of Wight, and 60mph gusts were observed along the south coast. More high winds were forecast for the afternoon of Thursday 2 November, and SSEN said it expected further network faults. Flooding in some areas was affecting engineers' ability to reach faults1.
The network remained at Yellow Alert status, which SSEN said reflected the potential for the bad weather to cause further damage to the electricity network. Extra teams were brought in from SSEN's north of Scotland distribution area and from contractor partners. Welfare vans offering hot food and drink were moved to areas where longer outages were possible, and the most vulnerable customers were called or visited. SSEN said it was working with Local Resilience Forums to co-ordinate welfare support1.
"SSEN Distribution remains at Yellow Alert status as this bad weather still has the potential to cause damage to the electricity network."
A further SSEN update published on 3 November put the total number of customers restored at 35,000, up from the almost 25,000 figure given the previous day. SSEN said it had deployed a 1,400-strong team, taken over 3,200 calls including proactive calls to Priority Services Register customers, and served over a thousand hot meals to people affected by power cuts2.
| Item | Figure reported |
|---|---|
| Customers restored, as of noon 2 November | Almost 25,0001 |
| Customers still off supply, as of noon 2 November | Around 2,0001 |
| Total customers restored, reported 3 November | 35,0002 |
| Team deployed | 1,400-strong2 |
| Calls taken, including proactive PSR calls | Over 3,2002 |
SSEN said that people who had been without power for more than 12 hours were entitled to £30 per person for every day without power, to cover the cost of food and drink, and that receipts should be kept so costs could be claimed back2. The company also said customers still without supply who had not been contacted should call the freephone 105 number, noting that an outage could be very localised and not visible on central systems2.
Why it matters for households
Storm Ciarán shows how quickly a household's supply can depend on a network operator's ability to reach and repair faults, and how weather and flooding can slow that work. For a home, the practical effect of an outage is the loss of lighting, heating controls, refrigeration and any equipment that runs on mains power. SSEN's Priority Services Register is free and open to households that include people who are deaf or hard of hearing, have a disability, live with children under five, are blind or partially-sighted, have a chronic illness, use medical equipment or aids reliant on electricity, or are over 601. Registration is one route by which a household can be contacted and supported during an outage, and the network operator support schemes that apply during power cuts vary by operator. Households weighing how to keep essential equipment running can compare the options set out in Backup Power Costs Compared, while the backup-power hub covers the wider subject. Knowing which operator covers an address, and how to report a fault, is set out in Who Fixes a Power Cut? Network Operators and the 105 Number. SSEN's own network and storm arrangements are covered in SSEN: Networks, Storms and Priority Services, and the national-supply hub covers the wider picture. Where an outage causes loss or damage, Claiming on insurance after a power cut explains how such claims are handled.
What happens next
SSEN said it would continue to monitor the storm closely and issue regular updates, and that further disruption to power supplies was expected throughout 2 November1. The 3 November update did not state a figure for customers still without power at that point, and no closure date for the incident has been reported2.