ENW restores power to all but the uninhabitable

Electricity North West (ENW) has restored power to all homes in Cumbria except for those that remain uninhabitable or require further private wiring checks a week after storm Desmond.

A thousand homes remained off power days after last Saturday’s storms due to continued flooding and damage to local substations.

ENW said 170 engineers including inspectors and meter operators from energy suppliers have been carrying out door-to-door safety checks since Thursday to try to ensure homes are safe to reconnect to the mains power.

It said a “small number” of properties are not safe to reconnect at this time as they are still flooded or have been damaged so badly they will be uninhabitable for months.

A number of home owners will also need to arrange for private electricians to check internal wiring before ENW can reconnect the power.

ENW said the majority of door-to-door checks will now have been completed and all repair work on the damaged substations has been undertaken.

ENW’s operations director Mark Williamson said: “This has clearly been an unprecedented weather event, with the most rainfall in 24-hours the UK has ever seen.

“We have completed all the repair work at our substations and we’ve worked day and night to visit properties and get the remaining few customers back on where it is safe and possible.

“I’d like to thank customers for their continued understanding and goodwill this week, we know this has been a very trying time for everyone involved and the support we have received has been incredible.”