14 December 2004 00:00 Central Networks’ staff on hand to give people in the Midlands Christmas peace of mind

The vast majority of people in the Midlands will be lucky enough to spend the festive season at home with friends and family but, at Central Networks, there will be a crack team ready for action on call 24/7.

On Christmas Day, when everyone else is tucking into their turkey, watching the Queen’s speech and fighting over the TV remote, a full team of engineers and call centre staff will be working round the clock to ensure customers have the electricity they need.

However it won’t be a totally Christmas-free zone, as the team will be bringing in such festive treats as turkey sandwiches, mince pies and chocolates to eat at break times as they carry on their normal duties.

Customer Operations Manager Phil Wilson said: “We distribute power to our customers 24 hours a day, seven-days-a-week, all year round – and that obviously includes Christmas Day.

“We always have a full team ready for action but we clearly hope that they won’t be needed and that everyone can get on with enjoying their Christmas.”

Central Networks delivers a reliable supply to 4.8 million customers across the East and West Midlands through 133,000km of underground and overhead cables and via almost 97,000 substations.

ENDS

Notes to editors:
• Central Networks is the new name for Midlands Electricity and East Midlands Electricity;
• Central Networks covers an area from the Peak District to parts of Bristol and from the Welsh Borders to the Lincolnshire Coast.

For more information and contact:
Kathy Doyle on 024 7642 4292
Out of hours, call 024 7642 4000 and ask for the duty pres