BOSSES at Electricity North West have said the company is ‘fully prepared’ for severe weather this winter.

The power operator has invested £30m over the past year in assessing and strengthening power supplies and services for customers in Lancashire.

Lee Maxwell, Lancashire area manager at Electricity North West, said: “The network is very reliable, but sometimes power cuts can still happen due to events out of our control.

“This could be due to vandalism or an act of nature, such as severe weather or falling trees.

“We have invested a great deal of time and money in making sure our network is fully prepared for any severe weather and we do everything we can to restore power as quickly as possible if there is a problem.”

Over the past year,the company has replaced ageing overhead lines and equipment, put in place pioneering technology which helps locate and repair faults and launched a new partnership with the British Red Cross which offers extra support to those who are vulnerable and without power.

Vulnerable customers, including some older or disabled people, or those with a medical dependency on electricity, can also sign up to Electricity North West’s priority services register to receive practical and personal support if they experience a power cut.

To register go to www.enwl.co.uk/priority or call 0800 195 4141.