AROUND 130 homes in Saltash are set to benefit from a more reliable electricity supply after National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) completed a major underground cable upgrade in St Stephens.

The £250,000 project focused on the Summerfields and Castle View areas, where engineers replaced ageing electricity cables that were becoming increasingly prone to faults and power cuts.

Over the course of the three-month scheme, workers excavated 432 tonnes of material to install new underground cabling along 638 metres of footpath and short stretches of road – the equivalent of around five football pitches.

NGED identified 15 locations where older cables were at risk of failing. The company estimates the investment will prevent more than 3,000 hours of future power interruptions for customers, improving the reliability of electricity supplies across the neighbourhood.

Richard Cornelius, who led the engineering team, thanked residents for their patience during the work.

He said: “We’d like to say a big thank you to all the residents for their patience and understanding while this important work was carried out, as we recognise it was disruptive and inconvenient.

“Customers will now experience more reliable electricity supplies, as we’ve replaced ageing infrastructure that was nearing the end of its working life and becoming prone to more faults, leading to power cuts.

“We’ve also added extra capacity to the local network, helping to support the growing use of electric vehicle chargers, solar panels and other low-carbon technologies.”

Mr Cornelius added that the engineering team had received messages from several residents thanking them for their helpfulness, consideration and hard work throughout the project.

The Saltash improvements form part of NGED’s wider £1.4-billion investment programme across the South West between 2023 and 2028, aimed at improving the resilience of the electricity network, supporting economic growth and preparing the region for increased demand from low-carbon technologies.