Planned powercut postponed after protests from vulnerable Cramlington residents

ESP Electricity informed residents of the St Nicholas Manor state in Cramlington that their power would be off from 9.30am until 3.30pm today (Thursday).

However, while letters were sent out on December 5 many residents only received notice on Tuesday – and some didn’t receive any at all.

This led to panic around some vulnerable residents, with the area home to a supported living facility. Councillors called on the company to delay the work in order to bring in a generator to power residents’ homes while the work was being carried out.

And on Wednesday afternoon, the company agreed to postpone the planned maintenance until January 10 to allow customers “time to prepare”.

In a statement, the company said: “ESP sent letters to our customers on December 5 to take into account the reasonable chance of postal service delays, however in this instance the postal service provided has been delayed beyond what we would reasonably expect.

“We always work closely with our customers to limit the impact of planned and unplanned outages and on this occasion, we received direct feedback that, due to the postal issue, they have not had sufficient time to prepare. In response to this we have arranged for the work to be rescheduled to Wednesday, January 10.

“We will reissue notification of the rescheduled works in good time to inform customers of what to expect and allow to them time to prepare.

“In the case of any vulnerable individuals or households the advance notice that we provide is given to allow them to make the necessary arrangements during the planned power outage. Any medical dependencies should be discussed with a GP or healthcare provider so that arrangements can be made for the necessary support both for planned and unplanned shutdowns.

“ESP apologises for any inconvenience caused to the residents of Cramlington and are committed to working with them to minimise disruption.”

Vulnerable residents were also encouraged to join the company’s priority services register, which could entitle them to extra help and support with their energy supply. Details of the scheme are available on ESP’s website.

Speaking prior to the announcement, Coun Wayne Daley – who represents the Cramlington North ward – said it was vital a generator was brought in to provide power to residents.

He said: “This happened in 2022 in my ward – Northern Powergrid were switching power off for a day. I asked for an equality impact assessment and they put in a generator after postponing the plan.

“It was lucky they did, as the work actually ended up taking three days. It can be done.

“They should suspend this until they can provide a generator. Shutting off power to some of the most vulnerable people is not acceptable.”

And following ESP’s announcement, Coun Daley reiterated his calls for a generator.

He added: “I’m absolutely delighted that they have seen sense. What we need to do now is make sure they have the necessary infrastructure to support residents properly – and that means a generator.

“It has been done before, it can happen again – but I’m pleased they have listened to the residents and to common sense.”

Concerns were also raised by Coun Pat Heard, who represents the West division on Cramlington Town Council.

Speaking prior to the announcement, she said: “Residents are up in arms because the company are not willing to provide a generator. We’re trying to get them to delay the work because they’re refusing to supply one. Some people didn’t get the letter and it just seems shocking.

“I’ve got residents with health issues who need the power. People need power for medical equipment through the day.”

One of those who would have been affected by the outage was Karl McLean. Karl has spinal muscular atrophy, and relies on electricity to charge his wheelchair and power equipment such as his hoist and his bed.

He explained why it is important for people in his situation to said: “A little bit more notice would have been nice. The first time I found out was last night – I didn’t get the letter.

“My equipment is very electricity intensive. It wouldn’t be the end of the world and it is no use getting too wound up, but it is just a sign of the general lack of care for people.

“I’m frustrated for me, but I’m probably going to be okay. There are adapted bungalows with people living there with different needs and requirements.

“It is very anxiety-inducing when disabled people aren’t taken into account and they don’t have the care and support that I have.”

Local resident Lyndsey Hutchinson added: “Some people didn’t receive a letter at all.

“Six hours is a whole day – it’s a lot of time and if there is any delay we would be left in the cold and people would be spending money out of their own pockets.

“Everyone was really disgruntled. There was no time to prepare.”