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SHEPD reconnects 12,000 customers after 80mph winds

Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution (SHEPD) has restored power to 12,000 customers who lost power due to Storm Abigail, but still has 1,300 customers to reconnect.

SHEPD said its engineers worked into the night to reconnect customers after 80mph winds and lightning strikes caused over 30 high voltage faults across Scotland.

SHEPD said overall the network “held up well” against the storm due to its continued investment.

The 1,300 customers still without power are situated in the Western Isles, Shetland and Colonsay.

SHEPD said they will be reconnected today as its engineers continue to work in “challenging conditions.”

The network moved to yellow alert yesterday which involved moving 500 engineers into place ahead of the storm hitting.

SHEPD brought more staff in to its call centre which continued operating through the night to help field enquiries and make outbound calls to vulnerable customers.

SHEPD’s director of customer services Dale Cargill said: “We apologies to the customers who are still without power and our engineers are working hard to get them reconnected.

“Our continuous programme of investment in our network to make it more resilient meant it stood up well to the high winds and lightning strikes in the first storm of the year.”