Power network operator encourages Extra Care sign ups

Electricity North West is calling on eligible customers to register for its free Extra Care Register (ECR).

The call comes after the Met Office issued yellow weather warnings for snow and ice over the next 48 hours.

Temperatures are set to plummet, dropping below zero throughout the week and forecasters are predicting several centimetres of snow to hit the region from 7pm this evening.

Snow fall is expected well into the early hours of Tuesday morning and Electricity North West is ramping up its preparations placing many engineers and colleagues on standby.

Stephanie Trubshaw, Electricity North West's customer and connections director, said: "We're expecting testing conditions throughout the week with snow, ice and cold temperatures forecast across the region.

"Our Extra Care Register is a free service which provides extra support to those who might need it if the power goes off. At this time of year we know that power cuts are more likely due to the weather and have more impact due to the cold.

"We've a wide scope of criteria for people to sign up for our free support - from pensionable age or those with young children at home, to those who are medically dependent on electricity.

"Think about your friends, family, and neighbours - could they do with a little extra help if they had a power cut? If they aren't on the register, they can be signed up either by calling 105 or online."

The Met Office has issued weather warnings for large parts of the UK and experts say people should expect travel delays and possible power cuts in the worst affected areas along with disruption to other services affected such as phone signal.

If power cuts do happen, then snowy conditions can affect engineers' ability to respond due to potential access issues. Electricity North West says that being on the Extra Care Register can help give you peace of mind ensuring that they know anyone who has extra needs so they can provide additional support.

Sign up at www.enwl.co.uk/ExtraCare or call for free on 105.

You can view any live power cut information in the region on Electricity North West's website here, get in touch on Twitter or Facebook, or by calling for free on 105 from any phone.

You can see how Electricity North West prepares the network throughout the year by watching this video.