Storm Arwen Likely to Disrupt Power in the UK, Power Firms Should Strengthen their Storm Response

Power firms should strengthen their storm response after Storm Arwen resulted in more than one million UK homes being deprived of power last year, says a report by the energy regulator.

The storm brought fierce wind, rain, and snow across Scotland, England, Northern Island, and Wales on 26th November. 

Three people have died due to gusts of up to 100 mph that impacted the UK.

Jonathan Brearley Ofgem boss told power firms to “up your game” and “get ready for winter.”

While speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today program, he remarked firms were “not well prepared” against the storm. 

In the future, he further remarked that they should invest more in the network, offer more transparent communication to customers about the reconnection, and be more imaginative about how they get people back on supply. 

The storm resulted in 4,000 people in North-East England and Scotland being disconnected from their energy supply for more than a week, leading to significant damage with gushing winds uprooting trees that fell onto overhead lines. 

The northeast of Scotland, Scottish Borders, Dumfries, and Galloway, were among the most severely hit areas. 

The Energy Networks Association, representing the UK and Ireland’s power firms, said six electricity firms planned to surge investment in network resilience measures from about 12 Billion Euros to 14.5 Billion Euros in the coming five years.