Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution said on the evening of 27 December 2023 that households cut off by Storm Gerrit for more than 12 hours are entitled to £30 per person for every day without power, to cover the cost of food and drink1. The network operator issued the figure in its 10pm update on the storm, which brought sustained winds across Argyll, the southern Highlands, Angus, Aberdeenshire and the north east1.
As of 9.45pm that night, SSEN said supplies had been restored to almost 25,000 customers, with just over 16,000 properties still off supply, mainly because of faults that occurred during the afternoon1. Wind gusts approached 80mph in coastal areas, with stronger gusts on higher ground, and the company said damage to the network was caused by fallen trees, branches and other debris1. It warned that some rural customers could be off supply for up to 48 hours, particularly in the north east, and that where there are multiple points of damage some may be without power until Friday1.
"customers who will be without 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"
SSEN said customers should keep receipts and claim costs back through its storm claim page1. Customers on its Priority Services Register can also claim reasonable costs for alternative accommodation if they are expected to be without power for more than 24 hours, with help to book accommodation available if needed1. The company said it had proactively contacted more than 50,000 customers on the register and was continuing to call those most vulnerable1.
Welfare vans were being moved to locations where power would not be restored overnight, providing hot meals and drinks from 9am on Thursday 28 December at six named sites: Fort Augustus, Finzean, Tarland, Strathdon, Sandhaven and Aberlour1. Details of five further hot food vans were to be provided in the morning1. A Met Office yellow warning remained in place for Shetland until 0600 on Thursday1.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Food and drink payment | £30 per person per day after 12 hours off supply |
| Alternative accommodation | Reasonable costs for Priority Services Register customers off supply over 24 hours |
| Customers restored by 9.45pm, 27 December | Almost 25,000 |
| Properties still off supply | Just over 16,000 |
| Longest stated outage | Up to 48 hours in some rural areas; some until Friday |
Why it matters for households
The £30 payment is a fixed daily sum per person, not a reimbursement of actual spending, though SSEN asks for receipts1. The separate accommodation support is narrower: it applies only to Priority Services Register customers and only where an outage is expected to exceed 24 hours1. Eligibility for the register includes households with children under five, people over 60, those with a disability or chronic illness, and those using medical equipment reliant on electricity1. The full framework behind these payments is set out in power cut compensation and the guaranteed standards of performance, and SSEN's own arrangements are covered in SSEN: networks, storms and priority services.
For a home's energy independence, the practical point is that a network outage of this length is measured in days, not hours, and the compensation is a partial offset rather than a substitute for supply. Households that keep food safe, stay warm and maintain power for medical equipment during a multi-day cut are relying on their own arrangements, whether that is a generator, a battery or simply knowing what to do. Guidance on keeping warm during a power cut and on how long food lasts in a fridge or freezer covers the immediate consequences, while backup power costs compared sets out what standby equipment involves.
What happens next
SSEN said a further update would be provided on the morning of Thursday 28 December, including the locations of five additional hot food vans1. The Met Office yellow warning for Shetland runs until 0600 that morning1.