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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
Levi Winchester

Storm Eunice: Power cut compensation rights explained as 'worst storm in 30 years' hits

Storm Eunice is expected to bring power cuts to thousands of homes today as the "worst storm in 30 years" hits the UK.

Around 2,000 properties were already reported to be without power in Devon and Cornwall this morning as winds of up to 90mph batter parts of the country.

It comes as two red "danger to life" weather warnings were issued by the Met Office with millions of people told to stay at home.

But if you’ve been left without power due to Storm Eunice, you may be entitled to money back.

Whether you’re eligible to any sort of compensation largely depends on the length of time you were without electricity for. We explain how it works.

Snow which fell overnight in Stanley, County Durham ahead of Storm Eunice (Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)

Red weather warnings are in place for parts of the South West of England, London and the South East, the East of England and large parts of Wales.

It comes after more than 14,000 people experienced power outages in the North East of England, Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Lancashire on Wednesday due to Storm Dudley.

Am I entitled to compensation after Storm Eunice?

Storm Eunice is expected to rage through the UK for most of today (February 17).

If you've lost power in your home as a result of the bad weather, your electricity supplier typically has 24 hours to restore your connection.

However, in cases of extreme storms, this deadline can be increased to 48 hours as energy companies are given more time to repair any damage.

According to Which?, the difference is defined by how many cases of supply outages are reported over 24 hours.

Energy regulator Ofgem said a storm is defined as "severe" if it causes more than 12 times the average daily number of faults.

Are you without power due to Storm Eunice? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk

If you're entitled to compensation, you'll receive £70, with a further £70 to be paid for each additional period of 12 hours in which supply is not restored.

This compensation is capped up to a maximum of £700.

The money should be paid to you automatically if you're on the priority register, according to Citizens Advice.

But if you're not on this register and you think you might be entitled, contact your local electricity distributor.

You can find your local distributor on the Energy Networks Association website.

This will need to be done within three months of the supply being fixed.

A spokesperson for the ENA said: "Supporting and reconnecting customers is our absolute priority and our customer teams are working around the clock to contact customers and keep them informed.

"We are also working with other utilities, local authorities, emergency services and the British Red Cross to support this effort."

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