Storm Eunice: Thousands of homes still without power in South East

Power companies have been working since Friday to reconnect customers left without power

Thousands of properties in Kent, Sussex and Surrey are still struggling without power following days of disruption caused by bad weather.

UK Power Networks said on Tuesday it hoped to have all people reconnected by midnight last night.

The company said power supplies knocked out by Storm Eunice have been restored, except for a "few isolated cases".

However, the company's online map shows thousands of properties are still cut off six days after Friday's storm.

'Not doing numbers'

The BBC has received messages from those still without power, including Richard Harreiter, who said: "No power and nobody working on it either. Cables still on the ground."

When asked for the number of properties still without power across the South East, a spokeswoman for UK Power Networks said: "We're not doing numbers."

"There are pockets here and there, and those are people you're hearing from. They are not big numbers in any way."

She referred to the statement on the company's website which says: "Power supplies affected by Storm Eunice have now been restored, with the exception of a few isolated cases where final complex repairs are being completed or we cannot gain access to customer properties."

'Desperate situation'

Examples of areas affected in East Sussex, according to the UK Power Network's website, include 375 customers without power in the Henfield area, a further 158 properties in the Wartling/Herstmonceux area and 178 properties in the Burwash area.

In Kent, 323 customers in Broadstairs are without power, with UK Power Networks forecasting they would be reconnected by between 22:30 and 23:30 GMT on Wednesday.

Across the county, pockets of between five and over 20 properties are still cut off, according to the company's online map.

Power lines in Ightham in Kent were brought down during Storm Eunice on Friday

Jennie Sutton from Bethersden told the BBC: "[It's] day six and we are frozen, hungry and it's really getting us all down now. Trying to manage my son in his GCSE mock week is hard enough without this."

Anita Jaynes wrote to BBC South East about her father who lives in Guston, Dover: "I live 200 miles away and I'm trying to do all that I can to support my father. However, it's a bit of a desperate situation.

"No one wants to hear their parent's basic needs haven't been met for nearly five days. No warm water, heating, hot drinks or food."

Water supplies

In east Surrey, about 850 properties are without power, the UK Power Network online map suggests.

The UK Power Network's spokeswoman told BBC Radio Surrey the data on the company's website was correct.

Speaking to BBC Radio Kent on Wednesday morning Ian Cameron, head of customer services at UK Power Networks, said he now estimates 4,800 properties are without power across the South East, including 1,800 in Kent.

He said the company's target was to get everyone reconnected by midnight on Thursday, but later in the day it was revealed some people may still be without power until Friday.

During Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Boris Johnson told the Commons that "we're working as fast as we can to make sure we get their power back and build in more resilience for the future".

Huw Merriman said water firms should have generators in place so water supplies don't fail when power gets knocked out

It came after Conservative MP for Bexhill and Battle Huw Merriman said: "Can I ask the Prime Minister to ensure that the utility companies work together, that water companies have to have generators in place so the water doesn't fail when the power does, and that local resilience forums are fit for purpose?"

UK Power Networks said it was running food vans and offering hotel rooms and meals for those who needed them.

The firm is now offering £50 "goodwill payments" to those without power for more than 24 hours, rather than the standard 48 hour threshold for compensation.

An additional £70 will be made at 48 hours, and a further £70 thereafter for every 12 hours without power, CEO Basil Scarsella pledged.

SSEN said all its customers in Surrey affected by Storm Eunice had been reconnected, and the company was now concentrating on those affected by Storm Franklin.

Meanwhile, some homes in the Bexhill area of East Sussex are without fresh water, South East Water said.

A spokesman said: "The electricity provided by UK Power Networks is a crucial element of the treating and pumping of our water to your homes.

"Unfortunately when a power outage occurs it causes either low water pressure, no water at all, or an intermittent water supply."

Energy regulator Ofgem said: "Protecting consumers is our top priority and we have made clear to the networks our expectation of speedy and proactive compensation payments to customers affected by prolonged outages from the recent storms."

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