Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), the distribution network operator for the north of Scotland, said it had restored power to 50,000 homes by 7:15am on Tuesday 5 August, after Storm Floris brought sustained storm-force winds across the region on Monday1. Work was ongoing that morning to restore supplies to the remaining 22,000 properties1.
The storm's impact was concentrated in the Highlands, the Moray coast and Aberdeenshire1. SSEN reported an 83mph gust on the coast at Wick at 7pm on Monday evening, which it said could be a record for that low altitude in August1. By 2:15pm on Monday, power had been restored to 5,500 customers, with 22,500 properties still to reconnect2. By 5:30pm on Tuesday, more than 60,000 customers had been reconnected and 11,400 properties remained off supply3. By 5:30pm on Wednesday, over 70,000 customers had power back, more than 98 per cent of those who lost supply, leaving 1,470 properties, mostly in parts of the Highlands including the Great Glen, Sheildaig, Conon Falls, Conon Bridge, Tain and Evanton4.
SSEN described the response as an 800-strong team: more than 500 of its own engineers and field staff, supported by almost 200 people from contract partners and other network operators, with nearly 100 call handlers and social media staff on duty, four times usual staffing levels3. More than 19,000 calls had been taken and 9,500 online messages answered by Wednesday, with an average wait time under 90 seconds4. SSEN said it invests around £100m every year in the north of Scotland to renew and reinforce the network3.
"Storm Floris has been confirmed as a Category 2 Severe Weather Event which means customers without power for more than 48 hours continuously, will receive a Guaranteed Standards payment of £85.00 and a subsequent payment of £45.00 for each continuous 6 hour period that they did not have power thereafter."
| Support | Amount | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Guaranteed Standards payment | £85.00 | Without power more than 48 hours continuously3 |
| Further Guaranteed Standards payment | £45.00 | Each continuous 6 hour period off supply thereafter3 |
| Food and drink costs | £30 per person per day | Without power more than 12 hours3 |
| Alternative accommodation | Reasonable costs | Priority Services Register customers off supply over 24 hours; all customers if a cut is estimated beyond 48 hours2 |
Guaranteed Standards payments are issued automatically, and customers do not need to make a claim or contact SSEN to receive them3. The food and drink reimbursement requires receipts and a claim through SSEN's storm claim page3. SSEN said more than 4,600 meals had been provided to customers by Wednesday4.
Why it matters for households
A storm of this kind removes the assumption that power stays on. For a household in an affected area, the practical effects run in sequence: heating and hot water controls, refrigeration, cooking, broadband, mobile charging and any medical equipment reliant on mains electricity all stop at once. SSEN said the storm caused issues with mobile networks, so house calls were made to reach people who could not get online4. Households on the Priority Services Register, which SSEN said is free and open to people over 60, those with a disability or chronic illness, those who are deaf or hard of hearing, blind or partially sighted, living with children under five, or using medical equipment reliant on electricity, received individual calls and tailored support2. SSEN said text messages were sent to over 100,000 of its more vulnerable customers on Saturday, before the storm arrived2. The compensation figures above are set by Ofgem through Guaranteed Standards of Service and are paid by the network operator, not the electricity supplier3.
What happens next
SSEN said its focus was to reconnect the final pockets of customers who lost power during Monday's storm by Thursday night, and that it aimed to repair the last remaining outages in Aberdeenshire by the end of Wednesday evening4. Letters advising customers of Guaranteed Standards payments are sent separately to the cheques and include fault information and the amount due3. SSEN said customers whose restoration depends on complex repairs are being given estimates via its PowerTrack website and app3.
Sources4 cited
- Update on our response to Storm Floris - SSEN, ssen.co.uk
- We're working to restore power supplies affected by Storm Floris in the north of Scotland - SSEN, ssen.co.uk
- We're making good progress reconnecting customers after Storm Floris - SSEN, ssen.co.uk
- Our huge operation continues as power supplies are restored to the vast majority of customers - SSEN, ssen.co.uk