Power cut guide
Network Operator or Energy Supplier: Who Do You Contact?
Quick answer: For a power cut, damaged cables or a problem with the equipment that brings electricity into your home, contact your network operator by calling 105 (or NIE Networks on 03457 643 643 in Northern Ireland). For bills, tariffs, your meter, prepayment credit and smart meter problems, contact your energy supplier, the company that bills you. Your supplier can’t fix a power cut, and your network operator can’t change your bill.
Is the power off where you are? See live power cuts from the network operators and reports from neighbours.
This guide explains the difference in plain terms, gives a quick “who to call” table for common problems, and covers prepayment and smart meters, power cut payments and how to complain if you’re not happy.
Two companies, two different jobs
Since the energy market was opened up, the company that sends you a bill is usually not the company that owns the cables in your street. Think of it like a road and a delivery firm: one looks after the road, the other sells you the goods that travel along it.
Your network operator: the wires
Your electricity network operator, also called a distribution network operator or DNO, owns and maintains the local network: overhead lines, underground cables, substations and the service cable into your home. When there’s a power cut, it’s the network operator’s engineers who find the fault and restore power.
You don’t choose your network operator. It depends on where you live. Great Britain has 14 licence areas run by six groups: UK Power Networks, National Grid Electricity Distribution, SSEN (Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks), SP Energy Networks, Northern Powergrid and Electricity North West. Northern Ireland is covered by NIE Networks. Some new-build estates are served by smaller independent network operators (IDNOs), but 105 still connects you to the right company.
Our guide to the UK’s electricity network operators explains which operator covers which part of the country.
Your energy supplier: the bills
Your supplier is the company you pay. It buys energy on your behalf, sets your tariff, owns your meter, takes payments and handles your account. You can switch supplier, and switching doesn’t change who looks after the wires.
Who owns which bit of your supply
It helps to know where one company’s responsibility ends and the next begins. This is the typical arrangement for a home.
| Part of the supply | What it is | Usually responsible |
|---|---|---|
| Overhead lines, underground cables, substations | The local network | Network operator |
| Service cable | The cable from the street into your home | Network operator |
| Cut-out (service head) and main fuse | The sealed box where the service cable ends, usually next to the meter | Network operator |
| Electricity meter | Measures what you use, including smart and prepayment meters | Energy supplier |
| Fuse box (consumer unit) and house wiring | Trip switches, circuits, sockets and lights | You, or your landlord if you rent. Use a registered electrician. |
Safety: Never open or tamper with the cut-out, main fuse or meter. They’re sealed for a reason and carry live mains electricity that can kill. If one is damaged, smoking or making a noise, keep clear and call 105, or 999 if there’s an immediate danger.
Who to contact: a quick guide
| Problem | Who to contact |
|---|---|
| Power cut affecting your home or street | Network operator: call 105 (NI: 03457 643 643) |
| Fallen or damaged power lines, damaged substation | 105, or 999 if there’s a risk to life |
| Damaged cut-out or service cable | Network operator via 105 |
| Trip switch keeps going off, only your home affected | Your own electrician (after checking with neighbours) |
| Bill, tariff, direct debit, moving home | Energy supplier |
| Meter faulty, blank or showing an error | Energy supplier (24-hour line if you’re off supply) |
| Prepayment top-up or emergency credit problems | Energy supplier |
| Smart meter not sending readings | Energy supplier |
| Power cut compensation | Network operator |
| New connection or moving a supply cable | Network operator |
| Priority Services Register | Either; telling the network operator usually updates the supplier too |
| Smell of gas | Gas emergency line: 0800 111 999 (NI: 0800 002 001) |
If you’re not sure whether the problem is just your home, our guide to calling 105 explains what happens when you report it. You can also check your postcode to see live power cuts and reports from neighbours.
Why your supplier can’t fix a power cut
Suppliers don’t own or repair cables and substations, and they don’t send out the engineers who do. During a big storm, phoning your supplier mostly ties up a line with someone who can’t fix the fault. Calling 105 or checking your operator’s live map gets you to the people who actually dispatch engineers and set restoration times.
The same goes the other way. Network operators can’t change your tariff, sort out a bill or replace a faulty meter, because those belong to your supplier.
Prepayment meters and power cuts
If you pay as you go, a power cut can be confusing because the screen goes blank and you may wonder whether you’ve lost credit.
- A power cut doesn’t use up credit for electricity. No electricity is flowing through the meter, so no units are being charged (your daily standing charge still applies as normal).
- Check your neighbours. If their lights are also off, it’s a power cut: call 105.
- If only your home is off and the trip switches in your fuse box are on, the cause could be your meter running out of credit, a meter fault or a problem with the supply into your home.
- If the meter display is blank or showing an error while neighbours have power, contact your supplier straight away using its 24-hour number. If your supply has stopped because of a meter fault, Citizens Advice says your supplier must act within 3 hours (4 hours at weekends and on bank holidays), either remotely or by visiting.
- If you need to top up while waiting, your supplier should give you replacement credit or tokens.
Tip: Save your supplier’s 24-hour emergency number in your phone now, alongside 105. It’s usually on your bill, top-up card or the supplier’s website.
Smart meters in a power cut
A smart meter is still an electricity meter, owned by your supplier. In a power cut it loses power like everything else, and the in-home display (the small screen many people have in the kitchen) goes off too.
When the power comes back, the meter would normally restart by itself, though the in-home display may take a while to reconnect. If, after a reasonable time, the meter shows an error, your prepayment smart meter won’t accept top-ups, or the in-home display won’t reconnect, contact your supplier. Don’t call 105 about a smart meter fault unless you have no power and suspect a wider problem.
Who pays power cut compensation?
In Great Britain, the Guaranteed Standards set by Ofgem require network operators to make payments when power cuts last longer than set limits. For a home, that’s £100 if you’re off for more than 12 hours in normal weather, then £45 for each further 12 hours, with different rules for severe storms and very large incidents. Most payments are automatic. The money comes from your network operator, though it’s sometimes paid through your supplier, by cheque or by bank transfer.
So if you think you’re owed a payment, ask your network operator, not your supplier. Our guide to power cut compensation explains every payment and how to claim. For a quick summary of current amounts, see our compensation page. Northern Ireland has separate standards set by the Utility Regulator.
How to complain
The route is the same whether your complaint is about your supplier or your network operator.
- Complain to the company first. Ask for its complaints team. Explain what happened, give dates and any reference numbers, and say what you want to put it right.
- Give it time. The company should try to sort it out within 8 weeks.
- Ask for a deadlock letter if the company says it can’t do any more. This lets you go to the ombudsman sooner.
- Go to the Energy Ombudsman if the problem isn’t fixed after 8 weeks, you get a deadlock letter, or you’re unhappy with the outcome. The service is free and impartial and covers energy suppliers and network operators (Ofgem notes it handles disputes with certain network operators, listed on the ombudsman’s website). It can ask a company to apologise, take practical action or make a financial award.
For free help with an energy complaint, contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, or Energyadvice.scot on 0808 196 8660 in Scotland. Citizens Advice can refer people in vulnerable situations, or at risk of being cut off, to its Extra Help Unit.
In Northern Ireland
Complain to your supplier or to NIE Networks first. If you’re not happy with the response, contact the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland. In certain disputes the Utility Regulator can make a decision.
How to find your network operator and supplier
- Network operator: enter your postcode on our network operators page, or simply call 105, which routes you automatically.
- Electricity supplier: check a recent bill, email or your online account. If you have nothing to go on, Ofgem suggests asking your network operator, which can tell you who supplies your address.
- Gas supplier: use the Find My Supplier service from the Meter Point Administration Service.
Both companies keep a Priority Services Register for people who may need extra help. Our guide to the Priority Services Register explains who can join and why it’s worth telling both.
Frequently asked questions
Should I call my energy supplier in a power cut?
No. Call 105 in England, Scotland and Wales, or NIE Networks on 03457 643 643 in Northern Ireland. Your supplier doesn’t repair the network and can’t tell you when power will be back.
Who do I contact if my prepayment meter isn’t working?
Your energy supplier, using its 24-hour number if you’ve lost supply. First check whether neighbours have power; if they don’t, it’s a power cut and you should call 105.
Does switching supplier change who fixes power cuts?
No. Your network operator depends on where you live and stays the same whoever you buy energy from.
Who pays compensation for a long power cut?
Your network operator. Most payments are made automatically, sometimes through your supplier. If you haven’t been paid after a few months, contact the operator, and then the Energy Ombudsman if needed.
Can the Energy Ombudsman deal with network operators?
Yes. It handles complaints about network operators listed on its website as well as suppliers, once you’ve complained to the company and either waited 8 weeks or received a deadlock letter.
Your next step: save 105 and your supplier’s 24-hour number in your phone today. If the power goes off, start by checking your postcode for a known fault before you pick up the phone.
Sources
- Ofgem u2013 Find your energy supplier or network operator
- Ofgem u2013 Complain about your energy supplier or network operator
- Energy Ombudsman
- Citizens Advice u2013 Check if your energy meter isn't working properly
- Utility Regulator (Northern Ireland) u2013 Making a complaint about my energy or water supplier
- GTC u2013 A typical electric domestic power supply
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 money and your rights: Power Cut Compensation in the UK: How Much and How to Claim · All power cut guides