ENW returns limited power to Lancaster

Electricity North West (ENW) has restored power to the majority of customers in Lancaster by returning the area’s main substation to service, but has asked customers to conserve power until full capacity is achieved.

In the latest update the vast majority of the 2,525 homes still without power at eight o’clock this morning had been restored, except for a “handful of properties”, including the University of Lancaster, which are still affected by local faults.

ENW is now asking customers who have had their power restored to “conserve energy where possible” to reduce the risk of further outages until the substation is fully repaired.

The network said teams of engineers have worked through the night on ongoing repair work at the area’s main substation after storm Desmond battered the area on Saturday night.

The network said essential repair work should be completed by “late this evening”.

ENW operations director Mark Williamson said: “We’ve now restored the vast majority of homes and businesses in Lancaster although we are aware of some affected by local issues that remain without power.

“The substation is back online but not yet operating at full capacity. That means we need customers to conserve power as much as possible until we can fully complete repairs on the substation.”

Engineers from ENW are still working to restore power to the 1,514 properties in Cumbria that are still without power due to flooding at a number of local substations.

ENW worked alongside emergency teams over the weekend after Storm Desmond cut power to 55,000 households in the North West of England on Saturday night due to severe flooding at Lancaster’s main substation.

The network also provided catering vans to eight locations across the two counties to provide hot food and drinks to affected customers.