SSE promise “more for less”

ELECTRICITY bills are set to fall by almost two per cent in 2015 and only rise at the rate of inflation thereafter as part of a commitment by power company Scottish & Southern Energy.

The company is currently investing £1.4 million installing a second 11,000 volt power line from Brae to Ollaberry, as part of a much bigger £486 million annual investment in its networks.

The move will help to cut electricity distribution costs by 10 per cent, costs SSE promise to pass on to the customer.

As power distribution makes up 16 per cent of the average electricity bill, the savings can be expected to be around 1.6 per cent.

The Northmavine cable project involves refurbishing 30 kilometres of overhead lines this summer and a further 70km next summer.

SSE said the original lines were built to a “lower cost specification” at a time the company was focused on supplying power to remote communities.

Workers are currently erecting a series of new poles to carry an extra power line in Northmavine, where there have been concerns raised about power cuts in recent years.

SSE are also replacing overhead lines from the Brae sub station to more than a mile north of Mavis Grind.

Almost four kilometres of cable around Mavis Grind are to be placed underground to improve the view and increase safety.

Meanwhile a four man team has refurbished the whole circuit between Gremista and Voe including work on 360 poles, at a cost of £42,000.

SSE has submitted a detailed blueprint of how it intends to run the local electricity network in the north of Scotland and central southern England from 2015 to 2023.

The plan outlines 12 key commitments, one of which is to do “more for less” for cutomers. The plans also include building a new power station at Gremista in Lerwick.