SCOTTISHPower might be better known for meter reading and fixing faulty electricity connections, but it has now taken an unlikely step into the television business to prevent an uprising on the southern edge of Glasgow.
The electricity giant has spent tens of thousands of pounds installing hundreds of satellite television boxes and dishes after its Whitelee windfarm wrecked the reception for residents in the village of Carmunnock and the surrounding areas.
With the second half of the windfarm still to be constructed, there are fears that places such as Clarkston and Newton Mearns could be hit in months to come, and Glasgow Cathcart MSP Charlie Gordon is planning to raise the matter with the company this week.
Stewart Roy, community councillor for Carmunnock, told the Sunday Herald that the problems started earlier this year when television receptions began deteriorating in the village and in certain homes in East Kilbride, Auldhouse and Clarkston.
"Lots of people went out and bought new televisions, assuming there was something wrong with their old sets. But when they plugged in the new ones, they discovered exactly the same problem," he said.
ScottishPower, which had conceded the possibility of television interference in its Whitelee planning application, agreed to install satellite equipment in homes where the problem could not be solved by realigning aerials with the Black Hill transmitter to the east.
Roy said: "Lots of people got FreeSat boxes, and if a person needed a satellite dish they gave them a satellite dish. There were a lot of homes that needed more than one box. We had five installed and I know one person who had seven."
Although ScottishPower refused to say how many boxes it had installed, several sources estimated that it was between 400 and 500. Electronics retailer Currys said that its cheapest FreeSat boxes cost £49, plus another £80 for a dish and installation, indicating that the total cost would have run to tens of thousands of pounds.
Pensioner Jim McCreadie, 73, who lives in sheltered housing in the village, said he was happy with the results but that the installation contractor had told him it was not allowed to discuss the cause of the reception problems.
"I asked if it was to do with the windfarm and the guys said they couldn't answer that. I suppose they didn't want any rumours circulating," he said.
He also said that he had to wait three months before they sent anybody.
Roy, nevertheless, praised ScottishPower for being efficient and open with the community. He said that "98%" of residents were happy with the company's efforts. But he added: "My only criticism is that they were aware that there could be a problem and they could have put something through everybody's doors in advance".
The Sunday Herald understands that only 85 of the 140 turbines have been constructed, with the remainder due to go up in time for the site to reach maximum capacity by next summer.
With the remaining turbines due to go up on the western half of the site, it points to possible problems in Newton Mearns and Clarkston.
"It's bound to affect other people," said Roy.
Charlie Gordon said: "ScottishPower have got to be proactive and responsive to community concern, but to be fair to them, in my experience they are quite a responsive company".
A spokesman for ScottishPower said that the company had received "several hundred" complaints from residents in the south of Glasgow in recent months, but that most had been resolved by turning aerials towards Black Hill.
"Carmunnock is a special case because it's the only town that sits perfectly in a dip in the hill," he said.
He said that the company did not leaflet residents in advance because although it had foreseen the possibility of television interference, the problems in Carmunnock had been "greater than we originally anticipated".
He added: "We don't think that other areas will be affected to the same extent, but there could be a number of homes pointing at the Darvel transmitter that we haven't fully appreciated."
Residents in the south of Glasgow experiencing transmission problems can call Scottish Power's helpline on 0845 270 0798
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