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SSEN gets ‘Ready for Winter' with £44m investment in the electricity network in the north of Scotland

12th November 2016

Ahead of the winter, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has invested £44m in strengthening the electricity network in the north of Scotland and launched an awareness campaign to help its customers also become ‘winter-ready'.

The ongoing investment programme in the electricity distribution network and related systems includes flood prevention measures, refurbishment and replacement of poles and extensive tree cutting to prevent falling branches making contact with power lines.

This investment includes £500,000 to upgrade the electricity network on the island of Fetlar in Shetland by replacing lightweight wood poles with heavy-duty poles and installing additional lightning protection on the line.

Following the severe floods affecting the north of Scotland last winter, SSEN is also investing £75,000 in flood prevention measures in the Aberdeenshire communities of Ballater and Aboyne to provide greater protection to the network and improve security of supply for customers.

SSEN has also launched its Winter Ready Campaign to encourage its customers to start preparing for the winter and to get resilient plans in place ahead of any adverse weather. The campaign kicks off on 11 November with TV, radio and newspaper adverts, and an online and social media presence.

Running until February 2017, the 'We're ready for winter. Are you?' campaign features artwork from the children of SSEN employees, with the drawings and messages reflecting the work their parents do 365 days a year to keep the lights on for SSEN's 740,000 customers in Scotland.

The campaign also provides customers with practical tips on how to prepare for a power cut or emergency weather situation and promotes the new free-to-dial single emergency number for reporting power cuts - 105. This memorable three-digit number will directly route customers to the network operator for their area.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Managing Director, Colin Nicol said:"We want our customers to be safe in the knowledge that we are doing all we can to keep their power on this winter. We have made it a priority to arm them with the information and the services they need to see them through the worst that the Scottish winter can throw at them.

"While the campaign runs through the winter months, our commitment to building the resilience of our networks - and the resilience of the communities who rely on those networks - runs throughout the year."

Here are some of the ways Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks is encouraging its customers to prepare for winter:

• Packing an emergency bag and storing it in a safe place

• Safely store a plug-in analogue phone which works in a power cut

• Save important telephone numbers so they know who to contact

• Download the SSEN Power Track app to be kept up to date of any power cuts
https://www.ssen.co.uk/Powertrack/

• Sign up to SSEN's Priority Services Register if they, or a vulnerable family member, require additional help during a power cut
https://www.ssen.co.uk/PriorityServices/

For more information please visit ssen.co.uk.