POWER CUTS IN BEXLEY AND NORTH WEST KENT

That this House is concerned about the power cuts that affected around 93,000 households across Bexley and North West Kent in the week commencing Monday 20 July, with several thousand households and vulnerable customers left without any power for three consecutive days; believes that the Dartford Creek site was compromised by EDF Energy's failure to adequately secure the site; notes that EDF Energy has sought an exemption from the electricity Guaranteed Standards scheme, but this has not yet been agreed with the regulator Ofgem, despite EDF Energy's earlier claims to the contrary; further notes that Ofgem is encouraging people to apply for compensation under the Guaranteed Standards scheme; further believes that the £50 goodwill payment offered instead to customers that were without power for 24 consecutive hours is inadequate and has been badly administered; and calls on EDF Energy to look again at a fairer and more reasonable system of recompense that takes into consideration the actual losses suffered as a result of EDF Energy's failure to secure properly the Dartford Creek site.