Drones are being used in Kent by UK Power Networks in an attempt to find the reason for outages more quickly and safely.

So far, eight engineers have been trained as the device is being trialled in Tunbridge Wells as well as Eastbourne and Colchester.

The idea is for the drones to fly over pylons and wires scanning for faults in the network which are causing power cuts.

UKPN predicts, with help from the remotely controlled surveillance equipment, it could identify a fault up to 30 minutes quicker than traditional methods but foot patrols may still be needed on days of poor weather.

The drone gives a bird’s eye view of power lines, streaming what it sees to a laptop.

Phil Burke, who is leading the trial at UK Power Networks, said: “The reason we want to try drones is to find the causes of power cuts faster, work even safer and make power cuts shorter.

“A typical high voltage fault impacts 100 properties after our initial process to quickly return power to as many as possible.

“We estimate that flying drones will cut our restoration times by 30 minutes on average.

“Traditionally we send a team to walk the length of the overhead line to find out where the fault is.

“Our teams face hedgerows, wire fences, ditches, woodland, fallen branches and uneven ground.

“Sometimes we’ll reach an obstacle like a fence and need to walk further away from the line to return to the same spot and continue the line patrol.

“Depending on the ground conditions, walking one kilometre of line can take anything from 10 minutes to an hour.

“Drones can fly a section of overhead power lines much quicker and safer than our linespeople could walk the line or climb a wooden pole to inspect equipment, reducing the risk of slips, trips and falls in rural areas.”

Heliguy instructor Jack Sharp, who delivered the training to UK Power Networks, said: “It was a pleasure to deliver the training, helping UK Power Networks adopt drones and ensure its pilots are best prepared to deploy the technology legally, safely, and effectively.

“This will enable them to achieve maximum return-on-investment, helping to spot defects and minimise downtime to reduce the impact of power cuts to the benefit of their customer base.”