Power cut guide
How to Check if There’s a Power Cut in Your Area
Quick answer: Look outside first: if street lights and neighbours’ homes are dark too, it is a local power cut. To confirm it and get an estimated fix time, enter your postcode on a live power cut map (ours, or your network operator’s), or call 105 free from any phone in England, Scotland or Wales. In Northern Ireland, check NIE Networks or call 03457 643 643. If only your home is off, check your trip switches and prepayment meter before anything else.
Is the power off where you are? See live power cuts from the network operators and reports from neighbours.
This guide is for anyone whose lights have just gone out and who wants to know, quickly, whether it is a fault on the network or something inside their own home. It covers the checks you can do in a couple of minutes, the online tools that show live faults, and what to do with the information once you have it.
Start with a two-minute check from your window
You can learn a surprising amount without picking up the phone. Before you search online, take a quick look around.
- Street lights. If they were on and have gone off at the same moment as your power, the fault is almost certainly on the local network. (Street lights on a timer or sensor may simply be off during the day, so this check works best after dark.)
- Neighbours’ windows. Are other homes dark? Are people standing on doorsteps or shining torches?
- Shared areas. In a block of flats, look at corridor and stairwell lights, the lift and the door entry system.
- Sounds. A sudden silence from the street, such as no humming from a nearby substation or traffic lights out at a junction, also points to a wider fault.
If everything around you is lit and only your home is dark, the problem is far more likely to be inside your property. Skip to the section on ruling out your own home, below.
Safety: If you see a fallen or sparking power line, or a damaged substation, keep well away and keep others away. Call 999 if anyone is in danger, then report it on 105.
Check your postcode on a live power cut map
The fastest way to confirm a local power cut is to look up your postcode. Every network operator in Great Britain publishes live information about current faults, usually with the number of homes affected and an estimated restoration time.
On our site you can check your postcode to see official faults from the network operators alongside reports from people nearby. If your area isn’t showing a fault yet, you can tap the “Power is out” button. When enough neighbours do the same, it is a useful early sign of a new problem, sometimes before it appears on official maps.
You can also see every fault currently being reported across the country on our power cuts today page, which is handy if you are checking on family in another part of the UK.
Reading what the map tells you
| What you see | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| An unplanned fault with an estimated restoration time | The operator knows about it and has a team working on it or on the way. No need to report it again unless something changes. |
| A fault marked as “investigating” or with no time yet | The operator is still finding the cause. Estimates usually appear once an engineer has assessed the damage. |
| A planned power cut for today | Scheduled maintenance. You should have had notice by post or message. |
| Nothing listed, but neighbours are off too | The fault may be very new. Report it on 105. |
| Nothing listed, and neighbours have power | The problem is probably inside your home or affects only your supply. |
Estimated restoration times are the operator’s best guess and can change, in either direction, once engineers find the cause. Treat them as a guide rather than a promise.
Find out who your network operator is
The company that sends your electricity bill is your supplier. It does not repair power cuts. That job belongs to the network operator that runs the cables and substations in your area. Great Britain has 14 regional areas run by six groups:
- UK Power Networks
- National Grid Electricity Distribution
- SSEN (Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks)
- SP Energy Networks
- Northern Powergrid
- Electricity North West
Northern Ireland is covered by NIE Networks. Some newer housing estates are connected through smaller independent network operators, but calling 105 will still route you to the right place.
Your postcode decides which operator you have, not which supplier you pay. You can look up the operator for any area on our network operators page. Our guide to the UK’s electricity network operators explains who covers which region and what each one does.
Once you know your operator, its own website will usually have a power cut map, an online reporting form and, in many cases, a way to sign up for text updates on a fault.
Call 105 if you can’t get online
If your phone has little battery, your broadband is down, or you simply find a phone call easier, dial 105. It is free from most landlines and mobiles in England, Scotland and Wales, open 24 hours a day, and connects you to your local network operator.
If the operator already knows about a fault near you, you will often hear a recorded message with the latest update. If not, you can report it to an adviser. Our guide to calling 105 explains what happens on the call and what to have ready.
Bear in mind that most digital (internet-based) landlines stop working in a power cut unless they have a battery backup. A mobile is usually the better option.
Tip: Save 105 in your phone contacts as “Power cut”. In the dark and in a hurry, it is easier to find than to remember.
Ruling out a problem in your own home
If the area looks fine but your home is off, the cause is usually one of these:
- A tripped switch in your consumer unit. A fault in an appliance, such as a kettle or washing machine, can make a residual current device (RCD) or circuit breaker switch off.
- A prepayment meter out of credit. If you have a prepayment meter, check the display. Running out cuts off the whole home, just like a power cut.
- Only some circuits are off. If the lights work but the sockets don’t (or the other way round), that points firmly to a tripped switch rather than a network fault.
- A problem with your main fuse or service cable. If your switches are all on, your meter has credit, and the neighbours have power, the fault may be in the operator’s equipment that feeds only your property. Report it on 105.
Our guide to checking your fuse box and trip switch walks you through resetting a tripped switch safely and finding the appliance that caused it.
Safety: Never open the sealed black or grey box where the electricity cable enters your home (the cut-out, which holds the main fuse). It belongs to the network operator and contains live parts. If you think the problem is there, call 105.
Getting updates while you wait
Once you know there is a power cut, you probably want to know when it will end. Here are the best ways to keep up to date without draining your phone:
- Check the map now and then, rather than leaving a page open. Every 30 to 60 minutes is plenty for most faults.
- Sign up for alerts. Many operators offer text updates on an ongoing fault. On our site you can save your postcode for free alerts.
- Follow your operator on social media. During storms, operators often post regional updates there.
- Listen to local radio on a battery or wind-up radio during large storms, when updates cover wide areas.
If your neighbours’ power comes back and yours does not, report it again. This can mean a separate fault affecting just your home or a few properties, and the operator may not know about it.
Is it a planned power cut?
Sometimes the power is switched off on purpose so engineers can work safely on equipment. In Great Britain, the network operator must give at least two calendar days’ notice of a planned power cut. This usually comes by letter, and sometimes by text or email too.
If the time and date match a notice you have received, there is no need to report it. You can check our planned power cuts listings to see upcoming work in your area. If you were not given proper notice, you may be entitled to a £40 payment, but you must claim within one month.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if there’s a power cut near me right now?
Enter your postcode on a live power cut map, either ours or your network operator’s. If a fault is listed, you will usually see how many properties are affected and an estimated restoration time. If nothing shows and your neighbours are also off, call 105 to report it.
Why is my house the only one without power?
Usually because a trip switch has gone off in your consumer unit, or because a prepayment meter has run out of credit. Less often, it is a fault in the operator’s main fuse or service cable to your property. If your switches are all on and you have credit, call 105.
Is 105 the same as the number for my energy supplier?
No. 105 connects you to your network operator, which is the company that repairs power cuts. Your supplier handles billing and meters only.
Can I check a power cut for someone else’s address?
Yes. Postcode searches work for any address, so you can check on a relative’s area from anywhere. If they are elderly or vulnerable, it is worth calling them too, and making sure they know about the Priority Services Register.
What if the map says power is back but mine isn’t?
Report it again on 105 or online. Your home may be affected by a separate fault, or by a problem with the supply cable to your property. Check your trip switches as well, because the moment of restoration can sometimes cause a switch to trip.
If your power is off now, take a look outside, then check your postcode. If it turns out to be a local fault, our complete guide to what to do in a power cut covers staying safe, keeping food cold and what you might be owed if the cut lasts a long time.
Sources
- Powercut105 u2013 Find your network operator and report a power cut
- Electricity North West u2013 Checks for if you are without power
- SP Energy Networks u2013 What to do in a power cut
- UK Power Networks u2013 Help and contact
- Ofgem u2013 Check if you can get a payment for a power cut
Checked against these sources on 28 October 2026. Rules and amounts can change – your network operator or Ofgem has the final word. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
More on during a power cut: What to Do in a Power Cut: The Complete UK Guide · All power cut guides