UK Power Networks – Thunderstorms and Electricity Network Preparedness

For your information the Town Council has received the following email from UK Power Networks in regards to the potential Thunderstorm and heavy rain warning for today and tomorrow 26th & 27th July

“You may have seen the forecast of unsettled weather over the next few days with heavy rain and lightning affecting parts of the East and South East of England.

We are currently monitoring the weather closely and we are in regular contact with the Met Office as the forecast develops.

Our electricity network is built to be resilient but extreme weather can affect overhead and underground power lines, resulting in some customers losing their electricity supply. Where this happens we work to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. We have organised for additional staff in our contact centre to help customers whose electricity supply might be affected by the predicted weather, and we have called-up additional engineers to carry out repairs to our electricity network.

You will be able to find regular updates on our website www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk and social media @UKPowerNetworks throughout this period.

Anyone experiencing a power cut should:
• Call 105 to report power cuts and damage to the electricity network, or 0800 3163 105 (from a corded phone or mobile phone if you have no power)
• Visit www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk for the latest updates
• http://www.ourhealthissues.com Visit www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/powercut and type in their postcode to view our live power cut map
• Tweet @ukpowernetworks to report a power cuts or to receive updates

We urge the public to stay well clear from power lines and anyone spotting a damaged power line needs to report it to us immediately by calling 105 from a landline or mobile phone.

If they see electricity lines that are down or causing significant risk to the public they should call 999.

We provide extra help to customers on our Priority Service Register during a power cut. Households with older or disabled people, those with children under five, or where someone uses medical or mobility equipment that requires electricity as well as other reasons can join the register. You can find out more information about our Priority Service on our website: ukpowernetworks.co.uk/priority.

If you would like to share information about preparing for the extreme weather or the priority service register on social media you might like to use the following:

@UKPowerNetworks has extra staff on hand 24/7 to deal with the impact of the current extreme weather. Call 105 to report a power cut and visit https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/storm-centre-prepare

Do you, or someone you know, need extra support during a power cut? @UKPowerNetworks provides free services to vulnerable customers. Visit https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/power-cut/priority-services-register for more information. “