Storm Bert tore through Hertfordshire in late November 2024, with one casualty being an 11kV overhead line on the edge of a village outside Hertford. A fallen tree took out a pole and snapped the cable. The DNO's local jointing capacity was tied up across the patch, and they called us in for an emergency joint.
On site by 17:30. Joint completed and energised by 22:10. Around 240 properties back on supply the same night.
What the job involved
- Site safety setup and exclusion zone in wet, dark conditions with a halogen flood rig.
- Cable end preparation on a sodden, slumped 11kV XLPE cable with damaged outer.
- Cold-shrink straight joint built inside a temporary canopy tent.
- Insulation resistance test before re-energisation under DNO authorisation.
- Joint photo log and report issued to the DNO control room within 30 minutes of completion.
Key challenges
- Standing water in the jointing pit — pump set up and ducting dammed.
- Outer cable damage extended further than visible from initial inspection — cleanup added an hour.
- Temperature dropped to 2°C overnight — heat shrink curing time monitored against ambient.
Outcome
- Joint passed insulation test on the first attempt.
- 240+ properties restored same evening rather than waiting until Monday.
- DNO added us to their priority emergency call-out list for the following winter.
I called them at half four on a Friday in the middle of a storm. They were on site in under an hour with the right kit and a jointer who knew exactly what they were doing.
— DNO Emergency Coordinator, Hertford, Hertfordshire
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