Grassmarket businesses warn of possible power outages on Hogmanay

Hospitality businesses in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket have warned of the potential for power outages ahead of Hogmanay celebrations.

Some businesses experienced power outages on Tuesday in Edinburgh’s Old Town which SP Energy Networks said was due to an “intermittent fault”, followed by a further “power trip” on Hogmanay morning.

Around 30 restaurants and bars in the area have been “crippled” by a significant loss to Christmas trade due to ongoing network energy failures, according to a spokesperson for the Grassmarket Hospitality Operators.

It warned power outages risk reputational damage, and “indicates systemic vulnerabilities that require an urgent and permanent solution”.

Paul Lawrence, chief executive of City of Edinburgh Council, and Culture Secretary Angus Robertson have been informed and received a copy of an email from the group of operators.

Louise MacLean, business development director for Signature Group, which has venues across Scotland, said: “Grassmarket businesses have reported a repeated loss of power, but the longstanding issue remains unresolved.

“Some hospitality venues also experienced power outages multiple times a day during the festive season, putting Christmas trade in the dark.

“In one December weekend alone, Grassmarket businesses lost the whole of Friday night’s service and the entire Saturday lunch service, meaning thousands of pounds in lost revenue across several hospitality venues.

“Meanwhile, business costs remain. Staff must still be paid in case power returns, food is wasted, and bookings are lost.”

In a letter to SP Energy Networks chief executive Nicola Connelly, the hospitality collective warned of “deep concern regarding the repeated power outages experienced during the Christmas periods from 2021 through 2025”.

It read: “These interruptions have had a significant impact on our operations, the customer experience, the visitor experience and overall business and city reputation.

“We have been informed the SPEN may need to remove supply again tomorrow (Hogmanay).

“This is compromising our business and the reputation of Edinburgh as the ultimate Hogmanay destination… These repeated failures have resulted in substantial financial losses, equipment damage, and reputational harm during peak trading periods.

“This also impacts Edinburgh’s reputation.”

The energy company pledged to make staff available during Hogmanay in case of further outages.

A spokesperson said: “We’re experiencing intermittent issues with the power supply to the Grassmarket area of Edinburgh and would like to reassure all customers and businesses that we’re doing our utmost to resolve the issue as soon as possible ahead of Hogmanay celebrations starting later.

“Yesterday’s faults were the result of low voltage protection fuse operation due to an intermittent fault being defected, which saw customers off for an hour in the afternoon, approximately 3pm-5pm, and again from 6pm-8pm.

“We fully recognise the impact this will have caused at such a busy time of year, and we apologise for the inconvenience.

“Power tripped again mid-morning today and we’re currently on site and working to resolve this as soon as possible.

“Our staff are going door-to-door in the Grassmarket to reassure customers that we’re doing our utmost to ensure there are no further disruptions today.

“We’ll also have additional staff on standby tonight across the bells and into the early hours.

“We’re happy to meet with any groups affected in the new year to discuss our investment plans to strengthen the network and lessen any disruption going forward.”