We're thanking Banbury residents for their patience and support during a loss of gas supply which affected hundreds of homes.
Around 700 properties were lost after water entered the gas network supplying roads in the Longelandes Way area, with 3.2km of gas pipes flooded. Our teams of engineers were dispatched to the community, removing 40,000 litres of water and restoring supplies safely once gas was available again.
During the week-long emergency, out staff handed out dozens of hotplates and heaters, and ensured that washing facilities were available at a local leisure centre. There was a base set up at the local community centre to support residents, especially those who were vulnerable and in need of extra help.
SGN engineering team: Kevin MacDonald, David Lindsay, Mark Newton and Ryan Wharton
By sharing industry data securely, National Grid provided a list of customers on the PSR for us to cross-reference with their own data, allowing targeted efficient support for those who needed it most.
During the incident, we also supported an additional 80 customers to sign up to National Grid Electricity Distribution’s Priority Services Register (PSR). This means these people will receive individual support in the event of any utility outage in future.
We're working together with electricity and water companies to make sure customers receive all the support they need in a gas, water or electricity outage. All participating energy companies participate in a ‘PSR promise’; they follow privacy laws, share data securely and ensure PSR information is never used for marketing purposes.
Nicki Johnson, Social Obligations Manager for National Grid Electricity Distribution, said: “This is a great example of collaboration between industries benefitting customers in Banbury. We are pleased that SGN contacted us and that we were able to help them support customers in vulnerable situations during a significant gas outage. We are always committed to working closely with our industry colleagues to ensure that nobody gets left behind when disruption to their electricity, gas, or water supply occurs.”
Maureen McIntosh, Our Director of Customer Service, said: “We were very grateful for the positive feedback we received from people in the local community who commented on the engineers’ professionalism and diligence.
“It was several days before we were in a position to start restoring supplies, and even after that, the extent of the water damage meant it took even longer for some properties to go back on.
“Therefore, we’d like to thank everyone for their understanding during this challenging time.”
For more information, see www.thePSR.co.uk or sign up to National Grid’s Priority Services Register by visiting www.nationalgrid.co.uk/psr