Power cut guide
Power Cuts and Working From Home: Protecting Devices and Data
Quick answer: If you work from home, the biggest risks in a power cut are losing unsaved work and losing your internet connection. Turn on autosave and cloud sync so work is saved as you go, keep your laptop charged, and consider a small UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for a desktop PC and your router. If the broadband drops, a phone hotspot can keep you online, and a quick message to your manager covers the rest.
Is the power off where you are? See live power cuts from the network operators and reports from neighbours.
This guide is for anyone who works from home some or all of the week, whether on a laptop at the kitchen table or a desktop in a spare room. It covers what to set up before a power cut, what to do in the first few minutes, how to get back online, and how to protect equipment when the power comes back. The advice is general, so check your employer’s IT policy too, especially if you use a work laptop.
What happens to your work when the power goes
The effect of a power cut depends on what you work on:
| Equipment | What happens in a power cut | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| Laptop (charged) | Switches to battery and keeps working | Wi-Fi drops when the router loses power |
| Desktop PC | Switches off instantly | Unsaved work lost; open files can be damaged |
| Router and broadband | Switch off (unless on backup power) | No internet, no video calls |
| External monitors, printers, docks | Switch off | Laptop may rearrange windows or stop charging |
| Phone | Keeps working on battery | Mobile signal depends on local masts, which may have limited backup |
Even with a laptop, you’ll usually lose your internet connection straight away, because the router needs mains power. Our guide to keeping your Wi-Fi on in a power cut explains the options in more detail.
Set up autosave and cloud sync now
The single most useful thing you can do takes a few minutes and costs nothing: make sure your work is being saved automatically, somewhere other than the device in front of you.
- Turn on autosave in the apps you use most. Many office and design programs have an autosave or auto-recover setting; set it to save every few minutes.
- Work from synced folders. If your employer uses a cloud storage or document service, save files there rather than on the desktop, so a copy is kept online as you work.
- Check sync is actually working. Look for the sync icon and make sure recent files appear online. A paused or full account won’t protect anything.
- Back up anything that isn’t synced. The National Cyber Security Centre recommends regular backups to the cloud or a removable drive, ideally set to run automatically.
- Use browser-based tools carefully. Forms and web editors may lose what you’ve typed if the connection drops, so copy long text into a document that saves locally as well.
Tip: Get into the habit of pressing save (Ctrl+S or Cmd+S) whenever you pause. It costs nothing and protects you whether the problem is a power cut, a crash or a flat battery.
Laptop or desktop: which copes better?
A laptop has its own battery, which works like a built-in UPS. If the power goes, you lose nothing on the device itself and can carry on, at least until the battery runs down or you need the internet.
A desktop has no battery. It switches off the moment the power fails, taking anything unsaved with it. A sudden shutdown can also corrupt a file that was being written at that moment, and occasionally causes problems when the system starts up again.
If you rely on a desktop and your area has frequent cuts, two options are worth considering: a UPS (see below), or a laptop you can switch to if the power goes off. Keep your work laptop charged so it’s ready when you need it.
Using a UPS for your desktop and router
A UPS (uninterruptible power supply) is a box containing a battery that sits between the wall socket and your equipment. When the mains fails, it takes over instantly so your computer doesn’t notice the cut. Most small home and office UPS units are designed to give you enough time to save your work and shut down properly, not to keep you working for hours.
What to look for
- Power rating. Add up the wattage of what you’ll plug in (PC, monitor, router) and choose a UPS rated comfortably above it. Ratings are often shown in VA and watts; the watts figure is the one to compare.
- Runtime. Check the manufacturer’s runtime chart at your load. A router uses very little, so it can run much longer than a desktop.
- Output type. Some computers with certain power supplies work better with a “pure sine wave” UPS. Check your PC maker’s guidance if unsure.
- Battery outlets versus surge-only outlets. Many units have some sockets on battery and some with surge protection only. Put the PC, monitor and router on battery sockets; printers and speakers can go on the others.
- Automatic shutdown. Some UPS units connect to the PC by USB and can shut it down safely if the battery runs low while you’re away.
- Replaceable battery. UPS batteries wear out over time, so check whether it can be replaced.
To estimate how long a battery would keep your kit going, try our battery backup calculator. For longer cuts, a portable power station can run a laptop and router for several hours, though most aren’t designed to switch over as instantly as a UPS.
Safety: Don’t plug a UPS into another UPS or a power station into a UPS, and don’t overload a UPS with heaters, kettles or laser printers. Keep it somewhere ventilated and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Surge protection
When the power comes back, there can be brief spikes or fluctuations as supplies are restored. Sensitive electronics such as computers, monitors and routers are the most exposed.
- Use a surge-protected extension lead or the surge-protected sockets on a UPS for your desk equipment.
- During a power cut, unplug or switch off anything you don’t need, so it doesn’t all come back on at once.
- Don’t daisy-chain extension leads, and don’t overload them.
- Replace any surge protector that has taken a big hit or shows a warning light, as some stop protecting after a major surge.
Staying online with a phone hotspot
If your router is off but your phone has signal, you can share its mobile data with your laptop as a personal hotspot. It’s usually the quickest way to send a message, join a call or finish an urgent task.
- Turn on the hotspot in your phone’s settings and set a strong password.
- Connect your laptop to it like any Wi-Fi network.
- Pause large downloads, cloud backups and automatic updates to save data.
- Turn video off on calls, or join by phone audio, if data or signal is limited.
- Keep your phone on charge from a power bank, as hotspot use drains the battery quickly.
Mobile networks can also be affected in a wider power cut if local masts lose power, so don’t rely on this completely. Our guide to phones, broadband and landlines in a power cut explains what usually keeps working. Check whether your employer allows work devices to connect through a personal hotspot, and use your company VPN if you’re required to.
What to do in the first ten minutes
Say the power goes off at 2pm while you’re halfway through a report on a desktop PC. Here’s a sensible order of things:
- Check it’s a real power cut: look at your trip switch and whether neighbours have lights.
- If you’re on a UPS or laptop battery, save everything straight away, then close programs you don’t need.
- On a desktop with a UPS, shut the PC down properly unless you’re confident the cut will be short.
- Switch off or unplug the PC, monitors and other equipment at the wall if they’re not on a UPS.
- Check your postcode to see whether the network operator knows about the cut and when it expects power back.
- Let your manager or team know (see below), using your phone if needed.
What about work you didn’t save?
Don’t panic, and don’t keep restarting the PC. When the power returns, open the program you were using first: many offer to recover autosaved or temporary versions the first time they start up after a crash. If you can’t find your work, check the program’s recovery folder or ask your IT team before saving over anything, since a new save can overwrite the temporary file you need.
Telling your employer
A power cut is outside your control, and most employers simply want to know quickly. A short message is enough:
- that you’ve lost power (and internet, if relevant);
- whether you can work on battery or by hotspot, and for how long;
- the estimated restoration time from the network operator, if one has been given;
- any deadlines or meetings affected.
Under health and safety law, employers have the same responsibilities for home workers as for other staff, and HSE guidance asks them to talk to workers about home working arrangements. It’s reasonable to agree in advance what you should do in a power cut: whether to move to a hub office, a library or a café, take leave, or make up the time. If your area has regular planned power cuts, mention them to your manager as soon as you’re notified.
When the power comes back on
Don’t rush to switch everything on. Give the supply a few minutes to settle, then:
- switch the router on first and wait for it to reconnect;
- start your computer and check autosaved or recovered files before doing anything else;
- let any UPS recharge before relying on it again;
- check cloud sync has caught up and no files show conflicts;
- run any updates that were paused.
Our guide on what to check when the power comes back on covers the rest of the house, from the freezer to the boiler. To understand what causes cuts in the first place, read why power cuts happen.
Frequently asked questions
Will a power cut damage my computer?
Usually not, but a sudden shutdown can corrupt open files or, occasionally, cause problems when the system starts up. Surges when power returns are the bigger risk to hardware, which is why switching off and unplugging during a cut is sensible.
Do I need a UPS if I use a laptop?
Not for the laptop itself, as its battery already does the job. A small UPS for your router can still be worth it if your broadband line keeps working during local power cuts.
Can I still work if the broadband is down?
Often, yes, using your phone as a hotspot if you have mobile signal and enough data. Check your employer’s rules on using personal connections for work devices.
Do I get paid if a power cut stops me working from home?
That depends on your contract and your employer’s policy, so check with your manager or HR. Citizens Advice can help if you’re unsure of your rights.
How long will a UPS keep my PC running?
It depends on the UPS and how much power your equipment uses. Many small units give a few minutes for a desktop, enough to save and shut down, while a router alone may run much longer. Check the manufacturer’s runtime chart.
Before the next power cut, take ten minutes today: turn on autosave, check your cloud sync is working, charge your laptop and a power bank, and save your postcode on our site for free alerts.
Sources
- NCSC u2013 Always back up your most important data
- HSE u2013 Home working: employer responsibilities
- Energy Networks Association u2013 Find my network operator
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 understanding power cuts: Why Do Power Cuts Happen? Common Causes in the UK · All power cut guides