HOMEOWNERS are to receive more than £1million compensation for being left without power after last week’s torrential weather.
More than 20,000 properties across Dumfries and Galloway, Arran and Kintyre suffered power chaos after they were battered by severe snow and gales.
Around 7,000 of these were without power for three days and hundreds more were not connected until the end of the week.
Official rules state that in the event of shortages Scottish Southern Energy (SSE) are obliged to restore power to customers within 48 hours.
Failure to do so means each household is entitled to claim £25 from SSE with a further £25 for each additional 12-hour period – but only up to a maximum of £200.
Energy bosses confirmed they will be providing a compensation pot worth an estimated £1.2million but insisted it was a “goodwill gesture”.
The handouts follow rules set in place by Ofgem – the energy regulatory body – that show most of the 20,000 affected are entitled to £25.
Thousands more will be able to claim extra payments and hundreds will qualify for the maximum payout.
SSE can claim an exemption from such payments if severe weather causes supply problems in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland but Ofgem said the exemption is to be removed.
SSE confirmed on Friday that full power to all homes in Arran and Argyll had been restored “following one of the most complex engineering challenges in its history”.
Engineers replaced more than 350 wooden poles and about 25,000 metres of overhead lines across 60 miles of the network.
SSE confirmed on Friday that full power to all homes in Arran and Argyll had been restored “following one of the most complex engineering challenges in its history”.
Hundreds of engineers were dispatched to fix overhead lines and pylons brought down across the west coast of Scotland last week.
In some cases, engineers were stranded in vans overnight and walked for miles in snow drifts of up to 10ft attempting to reach faults.
