Northern Powergrid's pledge after Storm Arwen damage

Power supply emergency teams are working from dawn to dusk to get the lights back on after Storm Arwen ripped through Northumberland.
A worker carries out repairs.A worker carries out repairs.
A worker carries out repairs.

The network operator has now restored power to around 213,000 of the 240,000 customers affected across the northern region and is working to restore thousands more.

It is aiming to have restoration of supplies on main high voltage lines complete in all regions except Northumberland and Tyne and Wear – which were the worst hit by the storm and the network has been significantly damaged.

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A spokesman said: “The scale of damage in some locations mean some large sections of overhead lines, particularly in Northumberland, will need to be rebuilt.

Northern Powergrid is also discovering additional work as supplies are restored, where damage points further down the electricity system would not be evident until the main system was restored.

“Where it can, Northern Powergrid is continuing to deploy temporary fixes that get customers back on supply whilst its teams coordinate the necessary permanent repairs to get the region’s power network back to full strength.

“Due to the scale of damage, the permanent repairs required are expected to continue until the end of this year.

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“Northern Powergrid’s customer support vehicles continue to be about in communities, supporting customers with access to hot water, drinks, mobile phone charging and winter warmer packs.

“Any customer with a vulnerability who are concerned about remaining off supply, or if you have concerns about a vulnerable relative or neighbour, should contact us on 105.”