Thousands of residents hit by two gas outages in a matter of weeks are to receive double compensation from suppliers.
Last month around 4,500 properties in Keith and Huntly were left without heating or hot water for 24 hours on one of the coldest days of the year.
And last week similar disruption was experienced once more, with engineers again rushing to the scene to investigate.
On each occasion, the communities rallied together to support one another while the “major disruption” was remedied.
A full investigation into the cause of the two incidents is continuing.
SGN has apologised to customers for the outages and agreed to pay £60 in compensation to everyone affected.
The usual payment is £30, but the supplier has doubled it as a “goodwill gesture” for the inconvenience.
It said the money will be deducted from customers’ bills, but may take a couple of months to show up.
Anne Neilson, SGN’s community manager, said: “We are very appreciative of the support we have received once more from the local community and the help from partner organisations and volunteers.
“We appreciate the kindness and patience of everyone as we have worked hard to restore the gas supply for the second time.”
Proof of ‘close-knit’ communities
During the outages, Aberdeenshire and Moray councils began distributing hundreds of heaters and hot food to those in need and an outreach centre offering advice was set up in Huntly.
Coastguard rescue teams from Banff, Buckie and Burghead were mobilised to ensure vulnerable people were given the necessary support.
Others in the communities banded together to help their neighbours as well.
Keith convenience store worker Munish Tandon donated seven portable radiators to those feeling the cold, while The Larder in Huntly began serving up free soup.
The gas engineers who arrived at the scene to restore supplies have been praised for their hard work.
Scottish Conservative MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Alexander Burnett, said: “From the engineers to the community groups and emergency responders, everyone should be commended for their efforts during such difficult circumstances.
“The response highlights just how close-knit Huntly and the surrounding area is and it’s fantastic to see.
“It’s concerning we have seen a repeat of this gas outage just a month after the first incident and residents will want assurances that these problems will be mitigated going forward.
“SGN deserves praise for keeping customers regularly updated and for increasing the compensation payments, which is a kind gesture to residents.”
