An app that helps users report power problems quickly and easily is celebrating one year since its launch.

Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) created the Power Track app a year ago, which allows people to inform the electricity distribution network operator of power cuts without having to call customer service.

It also allows customers to send in images of any damage they find.

Lisa Doogan, Head of Customer Service and Stakeholder Strategy at SSEN said: "We developed the Power Track app to suit our customers’ needs after listening carefully to their requirements and how we could make interaction easier for them.

"Our key aim is improving the resilience of our networks and doing all can to minimise the risk of disruption to our customers’ supplies. We know though that, in the unlikely event of power cuts, our customers want to be kept informed, so we want to make sure we provide them with all they need to keep in touch and report directly to our teams, in whichever way they feel most comfortable."

Almost 32,000 SSEN customers have the app and have accessed it nearly 700,000 times.

Lisa Doogan said: "In the past twelve months, by using the app, over 4,000 of our customers have been able to inform us of power cuts and on 88 separate occasions have reported damage to our network.

"It’s these interactions that show the development of the Power Track app has filled a potential gap in customer communications and we’d ask as many of our customers as possible to take advantage of the free download and access the Power Track app whenever they need."