Around 18,000 properties lost their supply on Monday morning after gas caught fire during repair work on a 500mm medium pressure main in Rawtenstall, Rossendale, Lancashire.
National Grid engineers are working around the clock to restore all supplies in Bacup, Waterfoot, Newchurch, Rawtenstall and Crawshawbooth.
National Grid's Director of Operations Jon Butterworth said: "This is a mammoth task but local people have been fantastic. I want to apologise for the inconvenience but also to thank people for their patience while we have been fixing the problem, and also for letting us into their homes during the night to get their gas supplies on for Christmas.
We still need to visit thousands of homes but we have a dedicated workforce, many of whom have given up their own Christmas holidays, and as long as we can get access to properties we hope to get most people back on gas supply in time for Christmas Day.
Our engineers will continue calling on people throughout Christmas Eve and into Christmas Day. Working hand in hand with the community demonstrates the real power of action, and with their co-operation we hope to help local people have a warm Christmas after all.
Safety remains National Grid's top priority and it is necessary to reconnect the gas supply in a safe and systematic manner.
Our engineers will require access to homes and businesses in order to restore the gas supply and relight the appliances safely. Householders must not attempt to switch their gas supply on before an engineer has visited their property.
In the meantime people without gas should check all gas appliances are turned off and their gas supply is turned off at the meter.
Please remember to ask for identification when an engineer requests access to your property. If you have any doubt to the authenticity of the engineers, please call 0845 605 6677.
If anyone requires help or has any concerns please call the national gas emergency service on 0800 111 999.
Further media enquiries to 01926 656536.
Notes to editors - archive
National Grid is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world and was named Responsible Business of the Year 2014 by Business in the Community. This accolade acknowledges all of our efforts in getting involve with the things that really matter to us and to society. We own and manage the grids that connect people to the energy they need, from whatever the source. In Britain and the north-eastern states of the US we run systems that deliver gas and electricity to millions of people, businesses and communities.
In Britain, we run the gas and electricity systems that our society is built on, delivering gas and electricity across the country. In the North Eastern US, we connect more than seven million gas and electric customers to vital energy sources, essential for our modern lifestyles.
National Grid in the UK:
- We own the high-voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales, operating it across Great Britain
- We own and operate the high pressure gas transmission system in Britain
- Our gas distribution business delivers gas to 10.9 million homes and businesses
- We also own a number of related businesses including LNG importation, land remediation and metering
- National Grid manages the National Gas Emergency Service free phone line on behalf of the industry - 0800 111 999 (all calls are recorded and may be monitored).
- Our portfolio of other businesses is mainly concerned with infrastructure provision and related services where we can exploit our core skills and assets to create value. These businesses operate in areas such as Metering, Grain LNG Import, Interconnectors and Property. National Grid Carbon Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of National Grid. It undertakes Carbon Capture Storage related activities on behalf of National Grid.
Find out more about the energy challenge and how National Grid is helping find solutions to some of the challenges we face at www.nationalgridconnecting.com
National Grid undertakes no obligation to update any of the information contained in this release, which speaks only as at the date of this release, unless required by law or regulation.