I understand how difficult it has been for residents across Northumberland - many are now over a week without power - and I am doing everything I can to get power restored.
There has been good progress in the West Allen Valley, but there are still plenty of smaller communities and isolated homesteads that still need to be sorted. I want to say a huge thanks to the engineers on the ground working through the night to get residents reconnected.
I am hopeful the village of Stonehaugh will be reconnected soon, and other communities areas are being sorted today.
We continue to source and sort the supply of generators, especially for the most vulnerable and for those who it is estimated it will still take several days for them to be reconnected. We are working with Gregor and his team from Forest and Garden in Hexham. There are hundreds of engineers from across the UK helping to restore the network.
If you are in need of a generator, please get in touch with me and my office on 0207 219 7227, or on guy.opperman@parliament.uk.
COMPENSATION
Following meetings with Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, Ofgem has today removed the compensation limit to allow customers affected by Storm Arwen to claim up to £140 per day they are without power. The previous maximum cap of £700 will no longer apply.
WELFARE SUPPORT
Northern Powergrid have issued the following statement:
ππππ‘βπππ πππ€ππππππ π€πππ ππππ£πππ πππππππππ ππ π ππ π‘ππππ π‘π πππ¦ πππππ π‘ππ ππ’π π‘ππππ π€βπ π€ππ π π‘πππ πππ π π’ππππ¦ ππ 29 πππ£πππππ 2021 ππ πππ‘ππ πππ π€βπ πππππ ππ‘π βπππ. πβππ π€πππ πππππ’ππ π‘βπ ππππ ππππππ πππ π‘π ππ πππ‘πππππ‘ππ£π ππππππππππ‘πππ πππ ππππ (π’π π‘π £15 πππ ππππ ππ πππ ππππ). πΌπ‘ π€πππ πππ π ππππ‘ππππ’π‘π π‘π ππ‘βππ ππππ ππππππ¦ ππππ’ππππ πππ π‘π ; πππ ππ₯πππππ π€βπππ π ππ’π π‘ππππ ππππππππ πππ π‘βπππ ππ€π ππππ-π’π πππππππ‘ππ. ππππ‘βπππ πππ€ππππππ π€πππ ππππ ππππ πππβ ππ’π π‘ππππ’π πππππ’ππ π‘πππππ ππ π πππ π-ππ¦-πππ π πππ ππ . π΄ππ ππ ππ‘π π£π’ππππππππ ππ’π π‘πππππ π€πππ ππ ππππππππ. πΆπ’π π‘πππππ π€βπ ππππ’πππ ππ π ππ π‘ππππ π βππ’ππ πππππ ππ‘ππππ΄ππ€ππ@ππππ‘βππππππ€ππππππ.πππ πππ ππππ‘βπππ πππ€ππππππ π€πππ ππ ππ ππππ‘πππ‘ ππ ππ’πππππ¦ ππ ππ‘ πππ π‘π πππππ βππ€ ππ‘ πππ βπππ.
We have been working through cases over the weekend.
If you or someone you know is vulnerable or has an urgent issue, please contact me on 01434 239 205, or on guy.opperman@parliament.uk.
My team and I are here to help, and will not stop until everyone is reconnected.