- Major efforts continuing in South Co Wexford
- Electricity restored to 13,000 customers since 6am this morning
- 12,000 homes, farms and businesses are now without power nationwide
- Ninety per cent of these (11,000 customers) are in areas around Enniscorthy, New Ross, Wexford, Killinick and Bealistown
- Supply has been restored to 138,500 since the onset of Storm Emma
Issued: 5pm, Saturday, 3 March 2018
NOTE: Images of restoration work available on ESB's Flickr page. (Image Credit: Jakub Walutek Photography)
As of 5pm, there are 12,000 homes and businesses who are without electricity. 11,000 of these are in the South East. There was particularly heavy snow yesterday afternoon and evening in south Co Wexford, which caused extensive faults on the electricity network there.
Access to the fault sites is very difficult with some instances of six to seven feet of snow drift blocking rural roads and lanes.
ESB Networks is getting assistance from the Defence Forces, Civil Defence and the local authorities to access to the fault locations.
Our crews will be working late into the evening in an effort to restore as many customers as possible tonight. We will continue from first light tomorrow until we have restored supply to all the homes, farms and businesses affected.
ESB Networks expect to have electricity back to all within the next 24 hours.
For those customers currently impacted by faults, information on power outages and restoration times are available on:
•www.powercheck.ie or on the PowerCheck App for iPhone and Android devices.
•If your fault is not showing on Powercheck please report it here. Customers should have their MPRN available in order to log the fault and to access information on restoration times specific to their location
•If you have no internet access please call 1850 372 999. Customers should have their MPRN available to access recorded information specific to their location.
•You can also check @ESBNetworks on Twitter for updates.
We would also ask for help from the public in reporting all emergencies such as fallen wires to 1850 372 999.
Precautions that you may consider taking to be prepared for an electricity outage are to :
•Have plenty of food and water available
•Have torches with spare batteries available
•Make sure your phone is charged and, if possible, have a phone charger at hand for your car
•Please check that elderly or vulnerable relatives and neighbours are prepared to be without electricity
•If you have electric gates, please check you know how to work them manually
•Have an alternative fuel supply available if possible to provide heating for your home.
If you lose power:
•Never approach broken lines or damaged poles, and keep children and animals away – report damage to ESB Networks at 1850 372 999 and listen to recorded messages carefully
•Turn off electric cookers, ovens, irons, etc. if electricity supply is lost
•Leave a light switched on so you know when power has been restored
•Take extra care if using candles, oil lamps or other naked flames
•Test smoke alarms with fresh batteries
•Ensure adequate ventilation if using gas heaters.
A further update may issue this evening.