A business has expressed its frustration at having to close for a day for electricity work.
National Grid is carrying out work on Kings Gate, Gedney, outside Jim Wright Engineering Ltd.
It learned on January 19 that last Thursday, January 30, it would not have any electricity due to the work being carried out.
The firm says it asked for generators so it could stay open, but were denied.
It even got MP Sir John Hayes to raise concerns with National Grid which subsequently contacted Jim Wright to say the power cut had to be carried out due to safety concerns.
The firm’s Natalie Treacher said it had to cancel a visit with regards to an order as a result.
“It effectively forced our business to close for a day with only two weeks’ notice,” she said. “No viable solution, alternative arrangement or meaningful assistance has been offered to us to prevent this and we were told there will be no compensation or assistance.
“As a result, 12 members of staff were unable to work, yet they will still need to be paid.
“This puts immediate financial strain on a small local employer and puts us in a very awkward position. In addition, we face significant loss of earnings, missed contractual deadlines, and potential damage to our business reputation — all through no fault of our own.
“The timescale given is simply not workable for a business of our size.
“We believe this raises serious questions about how essential service providers treat small businesses, the lack of support offered, and the real-world consequences of decisions made without proper consultation.”
A spokesman for National Grid said: “We understand how disruptive power outages can be for local businesses.
“This planned outage was needed so the local authority could safely carry out essential road resurfacing work, which required us to isolate part of the electricity network.
“We provided advance notice to all affected customers and have kept the duration of the outage as short as possible.
“Unfortunately, due to the way the network needed to be isolated for these works, it wasn’t possible to safely connect temporary generation.
“We’ve spoken directly with the business to explain the reasons for the outage, and we thank all customers in the area for their patience and understanding.”
