Following the recent power outages, the Parish Council has been in communication with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), which maintains the network in our area. The council has been advised that, currently, the supply to the village is isolated from the main network and the fault, and there are generators in place.
The regional SSEN team are working on locating the fault as a priority and was hoping to locate it before this weekend as bad weather is predicted, however so far they have been unsuccessful. The council has been assured that it is a priority to resolve this issue due to customer dissatisfaction.
It is unlikely that the supply will be affected when the fault is located and fixed. However if a planned supply interruption is required, then residents will be advised via letters through the door. It is usual that SSEN provide at least a week’s notice of any planned outage.
Should there be any further unexpected outages, the Parish Council suggests that residents report this to SSEN Customer Service on phone number 105. The more any issues are raised, the higher priority the fault finding will be.
The constant interruptions to the power supply have had a detrimental effect on those trying to run a business from home, particularly in these trying times. It would be appropriate for SSEN to offer some form of compensation for affected customers. For those residents who have lived in Long Wittenham for many years, this is a step backwards in time. Plenty of candles and oil fired heating guaranteed a houseful of grateful visitors, I speak from experience. The Plough did a roaring trade on Calor Gas, cooking hot meals too!
10 days later and as I write 3 more outages! What decade do we live in