Northern Powergrid release top tips to help combat Beast from the East

The company, who are responsible for the network that delivers electricity to homes and businesses across Yorkshire, are urging people to bookmark their website, turn off electrical appliances and check on elderly neighbours, among other things, as the region prepares for heavy snowfall over the coming days.

The Met Office have issued yellow 'be aware' warnings for today, tomorrow and Wednesday, and Northern Powergrid have released the list in the hope residents and businesses are as prepared as possible.

Northern Powergrid's top tips:

-Bookmark Northern Powergrid’s online power cut map and reporting service on your mobile devices – www.northernpowergrid.com/power-cuts

-Have a charged mobile phone with important numbers, including 105 - the free national power cut phone line, easily accessible.

-Turn off electrical appliances at the socket (this is particularly important for heating or cooking appliances as your power could be restored at any time and potentially cause a safety hazard)

-Keep one light switched on so you know when power is restored

-Keep a battery or wind-up torch handy – they’re much safer than candles

-Check on your elderly or sick neighbours and relatives

-Ensure you have warm clothing and blankets handy and some food and drink in your home that does not require electricity to heat or prepare it. Only call 999 in an emergency.

Northern Powergrid are making sure extra engineers are available as well as additional staff at their 24 hour control, dispatch and contact centre.

Rod Gardner, Northern Powergrid's head of network operations, said: "We’re monitoring the weather very closely. We’ve already taken action to ensure that we have extra engineers available and our 4x4s and specialist access vehicles ready so we can restore power and carry out repairs if there is any disruption or damage to our network as a result of the wintry conditions.

“We’re also ready with additional staff at our local 24-hour control, dispatch and contact centre (which can be reached by calling the free 105 power cut number), as well as teams in other locations around our business who will be ready to offer our customers support and advice.

“Our website, northernpowergrid.com, has an easy-to-use power cut map and reporting service which our customers can use to report a power cut and get updates about what we’re doing to get their lights back on.

“We’re encouraging customers to take a few minutes to add 105 and bookmark our website on their mobile phones so they are ready to use our services if they need to. They may also want to watch our videos, which will help them know exactly what to do if they do have a power cut.”

The electricity distribution company, which manages a network of 63,000 substations and more than 60,000 miles of overhead power lines and underground cables, are asking people with a disability, medical condition or very young families, who may need greater assistance during a power cut to sign up to the company’s Priority Services Register, will be kept updated as a priority.

Anyone interested in joining the Priority Services Register can sign up online via Northern Powergrid’s website or call the electricity distributor’s Powergrid Care team on 0800 169 2996.

The suppliers are urging anyone who spots any damaged cables or other equipment not to approach the area, but to report it immediately by calling 105 the free phone line which will route people to Northern Powergrid.

Northern Powergrid’s 24/7 Twitter (@northpowergrid) and Facebook pages will also provide regular updates and advice to customers and local communities.