SSEPD to give 48 hours warning of winter storms

Scottish and Southern Energy Power Distribution (SSEPD) will give customers up to 48 hours warning ahead of expected storms this winter by ramping up its ongoing awareness campaign.

The ‘We’re ready for winter. Are you?’ campaign will be broadcast on TV, in newspaper adverts, on outdoor displays, online and on radio stations from today until January to highlight the resources it provides to its customers in the event of a power cut.

In addition, SSEPD will be able to ramp up and tailor the campaign as much as 48 hours ahead of expected storms “giving customers as much warning as possible to prepare for any power outages” SSEPD said.

The campaign also highlights to customers that the work SSEPD does to prepare the network for winter “goes on 365 days a year as we work to maintain, repair and replace our network to make it stronger and more resilient”.

SSEPD managing director networks Colin Nicol said: “It’s at this time of the year that the work of SSEPD becomes more obvious as the weather changes and we ask our customers to prepare themselves for a possible power cut in the face of adverse weather.

“While we want to reassure our customers that we’re constantly working to keep the lights on, we also want them to know that we’re here to help them when the bad weather sets in and there’s a possibility that they may be temporarily without power.”

The network already has a smart phone app PowerTrack for customers to download which provides updates on power cuts and contact information in the event of a power cut.

The SSEPD website also switches to a specifically developed site for use during storms, called Storm Live. The site provides rolling live updates on individual storms, including information on when engineers will arrive and the location of welfare vans.