Homes across Greater Manchester are starting 2025 without electricity after heavy rain caused power cuts across the area. Electricity North West estimates around 2,800 properties are currently experiencing power outages across the North West – with a ‘vast majority’ of these in Greater Manchester.
Areas particularly affected include Stockport, Bolton and Wigan. Supplies may take longer to restore than usual as Electricity North West says it may have to wait for floodwater to recede in some areas – with some of the affected properties potentially already evacuated due to the flooding.
Richard Moulton, Incident Manager at Electricity North West, said: “We build flood protections into our high risk sites, but when these are breached and water enters our equipment the power will cut off for safety reasons. If you’re without power, it may be because your local substation, or the cable between the substation and your property, is flooded.
“Our teams are out on site making repairs as fast as we can, but in many cases we will have to wait until the flood water recedes before we can access sites and restore power safely.
“We are responsible for all the cables up to your meter, so if you have a power cut or your meter has been flooded, contact Electricity North West in the first instance so we can assess and repair any network issues, keep you safe and advise next steps. In some cases you may need to contact a private qualified electrician to assess or repair your meter following a flood.”
Anyone who needs additional support is asked to called Electricity Northwest on 105 or visit www.enwl.co.uk/ExtraCare.
The flooding has caused widespread disruption across Manchester on New Year’s Day. Major roads are closed and homes have been evacuated.
The M.E.N. will continue to provide live updates on the flooding as they become available on our dedicated feed here.