National Grid engineers will be working throughout today (Christmas Day) and the festive season to restore gas supplies to homes in East Barnet.

Around 150 properties are without gas and National Grid has drafted in some 80 engineers from across the country to help with the restoration effort. National Grid has been working closely with the London Borough of Barnet and Veolia Water to make contingency arrangements for those residents without gas today. Arrangements have been made for Christmas lunch to be delivered to vulnerable people.

The local authority has been assessing what support is needed by vulnerable people on a case by case basis, including alternative accommodation where necessary.

Harry Buchanan, National Grid incident controller, said: “We will do our utmost to get as many as residents as possible back on gas. We won’t go home until everyone has been reconnected.

.“Whilst we have all the engineers we need to reconnect people, the real challenge continues to be getting the remaining water out of the system. While the rise in temperatures has helped to thaw frozen water within the pipes, the remaining water continues to move around the system and this is what is hampering the reconnection process.

“We are working very hard to pump this water out. Our engineers will be working well into tonight and throughout the festive season to get everyone back on gas.

“Additional customer service staff have been brought in to deal with queries from residents and support the restoration effort.”

Safety is our top priority and people must not try to turn their own gas supply back on. An engineer will call to reconnect the supply safely when it is safe to do so.

National Grid has written to residents giving information about compensation for loss of gas supplies which will be provided under the company’s Standards of Service. There will also be additional payments for those residents without gas on Christmas Day.

An incident room has been set up in St Mary’s Church of England Primary School in Littlegrove. Heating appliances have been distributed to affected households.

To help National Grid restore gas supplies, it is important that the electricity network in Barnet is maintained. Residents are asked to use only essential electricity appliances and switch off any non-essential appliances.

ENDS

If you are a local resident and have any enquiries about the loss of gas supply in East Barnet, please call 0845 605 6677.

If you smell gas please ring the National Gas Emergency service on 0800 111 999.

For Media enquiries, please call 01926 656536 or 07899 983 792.