Is your business ready for winter? Business resilience is a top priority but are you prepared for potential disruption caused by storms, high winds, and extreme weather.
Power cuts are rare but their impact can be serious - from halting production lines to compromising staff safety. The good news? With the right preparation, you can minimise disruption, protect your equipment, and keep your team safe.
At SP Energy Networks, our job is to keep the power flowing to businesses and homes every day of the year. But when extreme weather strikes, preparation is key. That’s why we’re encouraging businesses of all sizes to take simple, proactive steps now - so you’re ready for whatever winter throws your way.
Here are five steps every business leader should prioritise this season:
- Understand your business needs
Start by completing a Business Resilience Assessment to pinpoint critical systems and processes within your organisation. There are tools and resources available to support this process – download our business toolkit to get started. - Check and maintain equipment
Regularly inspect and test your electrical appliances. If you plan to use alternative heating or lighting during an outage, make sure it’s installed or approved by a qualified professional. Create a checklist of equipment that needs to be manually restarted once power is restored. For businesses with refrigeration, remember that food will remain safe for around 4-6 hours in a fridge and 24-48 hours in a full freezer. However, any items defrosted should be discarded. - Consider security and data protection
From alarms to CCTV, many security systems rely on mains power. Have a plan for how these will be affected during a power cut. It’s also vital to back up your computer systems regularly and keep copies of key documents in secure, off-site locations or cloud storage. If you are a landlord or run short-term lets such as Airbnbs, remember that alarms may sound during an outage, which could cause unnecessary concern for tenants or guests - so make sure they are aware of what to do. After an outage, test all systems to ensure everything restarts correctly. - Prioritise staff safety and business continuity
Review your risk assessments and ensure your power cut plan includes steps to protect employee wellbeing. Think about whether alternative work locations or flexible hours are required during an outage. Do you have the right equipment on-site to continue operations safely? Even simple things like emergency lighting or backup heating can help make a big difference. - Be ready to report and communicate
If your business is affected, call 105 - it’s free and works no matter who you buy your electricity from. You can also check current outages using our postcode lookup tool. Ensure your contact details are up to date using our customer details update page and prepare a communication plan for staff, suppliers, and customers so everyone knows what to do in the event of a disruption.
By taking action now, your business will be fully prepared to manage any potential challenges that winter may bring.
Visit spenergynetworks.co.uk to download our full Winter Preparedness Guide.
David Climie, District General Manager for Edinburgh and the Borders, SP Energy Networks