SSEN enlists Just Eat to feed customers during power cuts

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has teamed up with food delivery company Just East to keep its customers fed during power cuts and bad weather.

Customers who are unable to cook due to a lack of power have traditionally been provided with food from a welfare van. But starting shortly, those in SSEN’s southern license area will instead been given vouchers to use on the Just Eat app while engineers restore supplies.

SSEN’s head of customer service Lisa Doogan said: “We know that having a power cut causes significant disruption to our customers’ day, and one of those disruptions is the inability to cook food.

“We think it’s important we make a power cut as comfortable as possible while our engineers work hard to restore the power, so we try to offer welfare provisions when the power cut is prolonged.”

The partnership has already been successfully trialled in the Thames Valley and will now be rolled out across the rest of SSEN’s license area in southern England during 2020.

“We have always made a commitment to put our customers and communities at the heart of all we do and this partnership ensures that customers have more choice and flexibility – meaning they can choose the food they want at a time that suits,” added Doogan.

“Importantly, working with Just Eat also supports restaurants in the community through increased trade and due to them already being in the local area, getting food to customers is easier and quicker; especially if there are issues on main routes that our welfare vanes would find difficult to navigate.”

The firm said it will work with local restaurants, shops and community to centres to make alternative provisions where customers are unable to order through Just East.