Belco is planning to give 72-hour forecasts of when electricity will be restored to homes and what work is being done.

The company said yesterday that some homes which have power will face being cut off for a maximum of two hours as Belco briefly switches off main circuits to restore branch lines.

Just under 8,000 homes were still without power yesterday and it will be a further two weeks before all 25,000 residential customers are switched back on.

Only two areas remain where the main circuit line has not yet been restored: Glebe Hill and South Shore between Pink Beach and Devil's Hole Hill; and Ord Road West, Witchery Lane, Rocklands Estate and South Shore between Astwood Park and Dunscombe Road.

Belco expected the Ord Road main line circuit to have been restored by last night.

Explaining the system used by Belco to restore power, chief executive Garry Madeiros said yesterday that main line circuits that feed the substations are being done first. Then large branch lines, small branch lines and individual homes will be tackled.

Priority for restoration went to main line circuits for emergency services, essential services and hotels and guest houses.

Depending on the extent of the damage to the main line system, attempts were made to restore all main line circuits totally or partially before branch line restoration work begins.

After the main line system is back on, Belco is switching attention to parts of the branch line system with the largest numbers of customers, as well as priorities such as grocery stores, schools, people with severe medical hardships, and other important service areas.

Small teams of two people will target quick jobs such as individual homes that can be switched on in a matter of minutes.

And contractors are preparing sites for crews by digging poles and assessing damage in outlying areas to prepare them for restoration.

"Given the ability of our our new Operation Centre's Outage Management System to provide more information than in the past, efforts are being made to provide all our customers with a greater level and quantity of information on our restoration as it relates to their service," said Mr. Madeiros.

"We are devising a plan that we hope to have up and running within the next few days that will allow us to provide customers with a 72-hour window of information on areas we are currently working, updates on progress of restoration, and expectations for next locations.

"However, it is important to note that even with this additional information, this plan is subject to change in response to emergencies, failure of part of our system to respond to restoration, and a number of other unforeseen circumstances."

He admitted that even though this information will be provided, some customers will despair when they realise they will not be hooked up in the next 72 hours. But he urged patience.

Top priority was given to residential areas with the strongest likelihood of restoration, so areas with severe tree damage were unlikely to be switched back on early.

Belco has 250 people working on restoration, including Bermuda Regiment soldiers, contractors and 41 emergency helpers from the Caribbean Association of Electric Utilities. Some 140 people are in the field on tree trimming, putting up overhead lines.

Mr. Madeiros also urged motorists to be cautious and slow down when approaching Belco crews repairing lines.

Belco executive vice-president Vincent Ingham urged residents to be patient, even though it could be frustrating if they see their neighbours with power when they are in the dark.

He revealed he and a pocket of neighbours off Middle Road, Paget, are without power when people around them have electricity.

"I know it becomes frustrating when you see lights going on (around us). I've seen lights going on and my neighbours have been complaining lots but it is about patience."