ScottishPower is investing tens of millions of pounds over the next two years to improve the performance of its electricity system during severe weather.

The improvements are in keeping with recommendations published today (Tuesday) by OFFER following its investigation of electricity companies handling of the disruption to electricity supplies by the severe storms on 26 December.

Ken Vowles Executive Director, UK Power Operations, said: "We welcome the OFFER report and appreciate the Regulators' concerns that some customers were without electricity for longer than everyone would have liked.

"But we are committed to improving levels of service during an emergency. Our own inquiry into the storm brought out the same action points as the Regulator raised in his report and we have already started making improvements.

"In some instances, such as our plans to underground selected lines, we are actually going beyond what OFFER recommends", Mr Vowles added.

The OFFER report shows that the ScottishPower area was worst-hit by the storm, with more than half of all the faults the electricity companies reported during the emergency, 5,620 out of a total of 9,543, occurring in ScottishPower territory.

Trees falling on electricity lines were the main cause of the disruption and ScottishPower has already started a two-year tree replacement programme to protect the most susceptible parts of the overhead 33 KV network during high winds. Safe corridors will be created around key lines and new trees will be replanted to replace those felled.

ScottishPower has already increased the call handling capacity of the company's call centres from 30,000 calls per hour to 50,000 and talks have been held with BT to ensure maximum call-handling capacity during an emergency.

ScottishPower is improving its network monitoring systems to provide customers off supply with better information about progress being made to restore them.

Crisis management procedures have been tightened and the company has increased stand-by cover for field operations and communication centres.

Further Information
Gordon Laidlaw or Ann Hood,  ScottishPower Press Office   0141 248 8200