3 Emergency responses to power failures
30. In the event of a significant disruption, or
threat of significant disruption, to gas and/or electricity supplies,
the UK Government may, under the Energy Act 1976, seek powers
to direct appropriate aspects of the production, distribution,
acquisition, supply and use of gas and electricity. In addition
to these arrangements, electricity and gas transmission and distribution
companies have established an emergency planning forum within
the Energy Networks Forum that meets every two months to ensure
that emergency planning decisions are implemented, and to carry
out more detailed planning work. [19]
31. From the evidence we heard, we accept that both
companies made every effort to ensure that as much human resource
as possible was deployed quickly. SSE stated that its preparation
for the approaching storms began on 1 January 2012. This involved
over 700 people from across the UK and Ireland, working to restore
the electricity supplies, and in some cases rebuilding the worst
affected areas within the network. Once the wind speeds had slowed,
it also deployed helicopters to assess the damage from the air
and carry out restoration work where it was most needed.
32. SSE told us that their Emergency Services Centre
proactively contacted thousands of vulnerable customers to ensure
that there was adequate support. This included offering accommodation
to many customers who had no supply overnight. It also organised
hot food vans in Dalmally, Lochgilphead and Dunoon, as well as
working with the Scottish Hydro Shop in Rothesay to provide food
and refreshment facilities. In addition to this, less mobile members
of the community were transported to and from the food vans by
SSE staff who also delivered hot food and drinks to some of the
more vulnerable members of the community. ScottishPower, as a
response to these storms, also offered its customers hot meals
and accommodation where they were had no supply for prolonged
periods.[20]
33. Despite this effort, there were many customers
who had to provide for themselves for up to four days before being
reconnected. Evidence from residents in the affected areas suggests
that, during this period, there was little information offered
from the power companies, or indeed the local authorities, about
what was happening and when normal services would be restored.
We are concerned that these support services were not being taken
up by those who needed them the most because they were unaware
such services were available.
Emergency communication
COMMUNICATION WITH CUSTOMERS
34. We were concerned about SSE's communication with
customers within the community. Both SSE and ScottishPower told
us that, during the storm conditions the volume of calls received
by their call centres increased dramatically.[21]
Alistair Redman suggested that information provided by SSE was
'confusing and contradictory'. When asked to elaborate on this
point he stated that:
You would literally get the woman or gentleman you
spoke to at Portsmouth, or wherever it is we are phoning into
lately, saying one thing and then you would phone up again and
they would say the complete opposite. It was commonplace. First,
they would say the road was blocked. Then they would say, "We
can't send a gentleman up the cables because it is too windy."
Each time there was a different excuse. Almost as many times as
you phoned up you had a different excuse.[22]
35. Customers within these areas requested 'real-time'
information; their main concern was knowing how long they were
going to be without power and when they were likely to be reconnected.
Alan Broadbent, Head of Engineering and Networks at SSE, told
us:
The biggest single issue for any power company is
that, if you have multiple faults on circuits and access is difficult,
you cannot predict when someone will be back on supply. This was
part of what happened in that particular situation. There is more
that we can try to do about that. We can look at storms in general
and put in place certain rules, which might establish whether,
in this particular area, if there is a storm, we can give this
information and generally speaking, whether the power will be
off for one day or two days. That is what customers like: they
want to know whether they are off for a day or off for two days.[23]
36. According to evidence from Nigel Stewart of Clachan
in Kintyre, the information from SSE was not received because
many people were unable to power the devices required to do so.
They also commented that the information on the website was not
easy to find:
The obvious first port of call for consumers in this
area is the website www.hydro.co.uk, or that failing www.sse.co.uk.
Neither of these sites carried information releases or situation
reports during the disruption, nor did www.sse.com. Instead it
was necessary to find Scottish and Southern Energy Power Distribution
at www.ssepd.co.uk. The average customer is not concerned about
the niceties of which part of the company is the right one to
seek information from, and it is a pity that the main websites
did not carry the information or signpost to it.[24]
37. Many of the customers that are served by both
these companies live in rural and remote communities. Word of
mouth is sometimes the only means of communication. The service
provided by representatives in SSE's shops is paramount to ensuring
that, in situations where people cannot be contacted by phone
or otherwise, information is disseminated promptly. Alan Broadbent
of SSE, commented:
Our shops are a focal point in many of these islands.
Last week, I and a colleague met the chap who manages all the
shops. We talked about how they can do more and how they can mirror
what happened on Rothesay, because Senga did a power of good for
that island and a lot of people appreciate what she did. She charged
her phone, which actually was working, in her car, because her
house was off, and she got information from us and told people
how things were. She told people the hot food vans were coming.
She went to individual customers and spoke to them and gave them
food. We need to do that on a community basis through all of our
shops. At the moment, we do not have a database within my part
of the business that shows us who is in those shops, what the
telephone numbers are, and how to communicate. We will get that.
We will find a way through the PMR system—the new system
that we are bringing in—to put fixed base stations there,
so we will get through and tell the shops and that sort of information
can get out to the wider community by word of mouth. It is a bit
different in the west coast, because you have widely spread communities,
and it is quite difficult to do that.[25]
38. SSE commented on the difficulty of speaking to
their engineers within the field due to mobile phone masts across
different network providers in the area being down. Further questioning
on the alternative options available when primary means of communication
failed revealed that SSE had a contingency of a private mobile
radio system. The private mobile radio is still limited in terms
of its reliability as the engineers are constantly on the move,
and once again there are only certain areas that allow for optimum
use. SSE told us they plan to invest £4 million developing
its communication systems in emergency situations; it is hoped
that this investment will facilitate more reliable communication
and provide better coverage of Scotland.[26]
CO-ORDINATING THE RESPONSE
39. Argyll and Bute Council, SSE and Scottish Power
all commented on the need for better communication among themselves,
as well as with other Scottish Local Authorities. We recognise
that for many residents living in the affected areas, the Council
could be a valuable source of information. Evidence received from
residents of Argyll and Bute stated that the local council was
not able to relay any information to them during the storms. During
questioning, Jane Fowler, from Argyll and Bute Council, commented
on the limitations of Council resources during this weather event.
She stated:
communication was extremely challenging. We did not
have BT for a period of time on Bute. We did not have any electricity.
We had no mobile phone signals on the island. It was very difficult.
There is an issue on an island the size of Bute and in other communities
where there is absolutely no means of communication, other than
people potentially going around with loudhailers saying, "If
you want a hot drink come to the Pavilion." Scottish and
Southern Energy provided mobile catering units that were in the
middle of the town.[27]
40. Following our evidence sessions, SSE sent us
a summary of the storm review it had conducted.[28]
One of the issues investigated was proactive community engagement.
It acknowledged that the level of communication and engagement
may have led to a misunderstanding of the cause of loss of supply,
and damaged relationships in some communities. It pledged to review
its internal processes to ensure that communities are informed
of significant network maintenance and improvements. It also said
it would explore the possibility of a community representative
being trained with the necessary skills to undertake basic restoration
work when engineers cannot attend a location immediately.
41. Contact between power companies and the local
authorities on how to effectively and efficiently co-ordinate
a response in these situations needs to be increased. During our
evidence sessions, it was suggested that a nominated individual
in the isolated areas, should be given the authority by the distribution
company to activate a backup power supply, such as a generator,
should the area become disconnected. As it is sometimes difficult
for engineers to reach some of these isolated areas quickly, this
measure could minimise the length of time customers are left without
supply.[29]
42. The relationship
between communities, the local authorities and their energy supplier
is extremely important, particularly in rural areas such as Islay.
SSE should review how it engages with communities and local authorities
during emergencies to ensure that the information relayed back
to its customers is accurate.
VULNERABLE INDIVIDUAL IDENTIFICATION
43. In order to identify vulnerable individuals,
the industry currently uses a priority standard services register
to record customers who have disabilities or impairments. However,
in order to be placed on the register, the individual has to notify
their supplier that they are vulnerable. SSE and ScottishPower
operate their own database systems to identify their vulnerable
customers when supply is disconnected alongside this industry
standard register. ScottishPower has recently upgraded its database
system, enabling it to be brought to the advisors' attention when
a caller is registered as vulnerable.
44. An issue that all witnesses identified was the
need for there to be a shared database of vulnerable individuals
available to the emergency and social services, local authorities
and power companies. Presently, the majority of the information
comes from industry sources, which means that supply companies
will identify vulnerable customers and pass on that information
to the distribution network operators.
45. In order for a bigger database to be created,
there are certain data protection issues that have to be addressed.
Any handling of personal data has to be in accordance with the
Data Protection Act 1998. Should the data controller need to process
any data, it has to be within the conditions set out in the Act.
One of these conditions is that the processing is necessary to
protect the individuals' vital interests, which could arise should
elderly residents find themselves disconnected from supply for
prolonged periods. This Act does not prevent organisations sharing
personal data where it is appropriate, although it does restrict
it. For emergency response planning, therefore, it is necessary
to balance those restrictions against the risks involved in not
sharing potentially life-saving data. All relevant parties
should be aware of what information may need to be shared in the
possibility of an emergency situation arising. For example, the
police, the fire service and local councils co-operate to put
into place a data sharing agreement, allowing them to get to those
who need their help quickly.
46. SSE stated in its storm review that it currently
has limited access to customer information. Its priority services
register is a voluntary list that depends upon a vulnerable customer
informing their supplier of their circumstances. However, the
company endeavours to work with all relevant stakeholders to remove
barriers to a single co-ordinated vulnerable persons register
which could best identify vulnerable customers during periods
of supply disruption.[30]
47. The identification
of vulnerable individuals in an emergency situation is paramount.
Ofgem, power companies and local authorities should work together
to ensure the maximum flow of information within the constraints
of the Data Protection Act.
19 Ev 38 Back
20
Ev 68, 72 Back
21
Ev 44, 64, 72, 87 Back
22
Q 71 Back
23
Q 153 Back
24
Ev 83 Back
25
Q 154 Back
26
Q 140 Back
27
Q 80 Back
28
Ev 86 Back
29
Q 145 Back
30
Ev 88 Back
| 
