Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Ofgem releases report in to storm that left 1 million homes without power - as UK braces for Storm Eunice

Ofgem releases report in to storm that left 1 million homes without power - as UK braces for Storm Eunice

Wait times for some customers to contact their operator were unacceptably high, findings from the regulator and government show

As Storm Eunice barrels towards the South West of England, the UK's energy watchdog has issued an initial report on the impact of Storm Arwen last November, which left more than a million homes without power.

Ofgem found that network operators were hard to reach in the aftermath of the storm, with many customers waiting indefinitely on hold to customer support lines, slow to pay compensation, and potentially gave inaccurate estimations for how long it would take for power to be restored.

More than 4,000 homes were still without power some 10 days after Storm Arwen struck.

"Looking ahead to the publication of the final report in Spring 2022, we will be undertaking further analysis to establish clear lessons for improvement, including a programme of consumer research exploring the experiences of customers that endured a prolonged outage," Ofgem said in its report.

"We will also draw on evidence to determine whether the companies breached any of their statutory obligations or licence conditions, potentially leading to enforcement action."

Ofgem can impose financial penalties of up to 10% of a licensee's turnover, make consumer redress orders and issue provisional or final orders for breaches of relevant conditions and requirements under the Gas Act 1986 and the Electricity Act 1989.

The regulator's findings are especially pertinent as the UK braces for winds of up to 70mph and gusts reaching 100mph - with Storm Eunice among the most fierce storms of the last 30 years - while more than 20,000 homes were left without power following Storm Dudley last week.

Northern Powergrid said 1,000 properties still had no lights on Thursday morning due to the weather.

Fallen trees are seen on a road in Little Hay, north Birmingham, as Storm Dudley hits many areas across the UK. Storm Dudley is to be closely followed by Storm Eunice, which will bring strong winds and the possibility of snow on Friday.


"Our teams have restored power to some 19,000 homes and businesses impacted by Storm Dudley, and we are working to get the lights back on for around 1,000 properties still affected," a spokesperson said.

A related investigation by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) into 2021's Storm Arwen made similar findings to Ofgem's report.

The government found that wait times for some customers to contact their network operator were unacceptably high, and recommended that more needed to be done to manage both the method and content of customer communications effectively during severe events.

It also acknowledged that there were unacceptably long power cuts to some households, especially those in rural areas, and recommended finding ways to reduce the length of time customers remain off supply following severe and widespread power disruption.

Lastly, it recommended that new processes should be established to ensure payment of compensation to affected customers happens immediately, and is not delayed.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×