Anne-Marie Trevelyan, MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed, has submitted her report into the performance of the network operators in the wake of Storm Arwen, to inform reviews being carried out by Ofgem – the energy regulator – and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
The MP, who took Energy Minister Greg Hands to the affected areas in the wake of the storm, had invited comments from constituents, and ran surveys into how the compensation schemes had been delivered, in order to inform her submissions.
The MP said of the review:
“I am really pleased both Ofgem and the Government are conducting reviews into the network operators’ handling of the aftermath of Storm Arwen. We are likely to face similar storms in the future, so it is vital lessons are learned and our network becomes more resilient. Residents were left without power for far too long, and were given poor or inaccurate advice on when they might be reconnected. I know from my own experiences and those of so many local residents, that vast improvements could be made into communications, compensation delivery, and the wider resilience of supply.”
The MP, who continues to hold regular meetings with the network operators, ran surveys for constituents into the handling of the compensation scheme, having expressed concern that data held by the operators would not be sufficient to ensure everyone entitled to received compensation did so.
She said:
“I continue to hear from constituents who were off power for more than 72 hours who have either not heard from their operator about compensation, or have not received the correct amount. If anyone is unsure, they can contact my team and we will try to help you make contact with your operator.”
Attachment below: Letter to Ofgem.