The company delivering electricity to Yorkshire customers is doing a better job of keeping the lights on – despite the disruption of last winter’s storms.

Northern Powergrid, the electricity distributor for Yorkshire, the North East and North Lincolnshire, achieved its best-ever performance standards for network reliability and equalled its best performance for safety around the electricity network.

That was despite last December’s storms which interrupted supplies to tens of thousands of customers.

Storm Desmond, in early December, saw 37,000 customers face power cuts – mostly in the North East – due to overhead line damage caused by the wind. Some 85% were restored within 12 hours. Storm Eva, which struck during Christmas week, caused severe flooding and interrupted supplies to 37,000 customers across West and North Yorkshire. Some 94% of customers were restored within 12 hours with the remainder restored as soon as the floodwaters receded allowing essential repairs to take place.

The firm’s annual report shows “good progress” against the firm’s eight-year targets – including an 8% reduction in the number of power cuts and 20% reduction in their duration; a 30% reduction in the time taken to connect new customers; a 50% reduction in accident rates; and a 10% reduction in the company’s carbon footprint.