Power cut guide
What to Do in a Power Cut: The Complete UK Guide
Quick answer: First check whether it is just your home (trip switches, prepayment credit) or the whole street. If neighbours are off too, call 105 free from any phone in England, Scotland or Wales (NIE Networks on 03457 643 643 in Northern Ireland), or check your postcode online. Then switch off appliances, leave one light on, keep the fridge and freezer shut, use torches rather than candles, and check on anyone who might need help. Call 999 if anyone is in danger.
Is the power off where you are? See live power cuts from the network operators and reports from neighbours.
This guide walks you through a power cut from start to finish. Each section gives you the essentials in a few lines and points you to a more detailed guide if you need it. If you are reading this on a phone with a low battery, the first two sections are the ones that matter most right now.
The first five minutes
When the lights go out, stay where you are for a moment and let your eyes adjust. Falls on stairs are a real risk in the dark, especially for older people and children. Reach for a torch or your phone light rather than a match.
Then work through this short list:
- Is anyone in danger? If you can see sparks, fire, a fallen power line, or someone is unwell, call 999 straight away.
- Look outside. Are the street lights off? Are your neighbours’ windows dark? That tells you a lot.
- Check your trip switches in the consumer unit (fuse box). If one has dropped down, the problem is probably inside your home.
- If you have a prepayment meter, check whether you have run out of credit.
- Report it if the whole area is affected, by calling 105 or checking online.
Safety: If you smell gas at any point, do not switch anything on or off. Leave the property and call the gas emergency line on 0800 111 999 (Great Britain) or 0800 002 001 (Northern Ireland).
Is it just your home, or the whole area?
This is the single most useful thing to work out, because it decides who can fix the problem. If only your home is off, the cause is usually a tripped switch, a faulty appliance, a wiring fault or an empty prepayment meter. If the whole street is dark, it is almost always a fault on the local network.
Our step-by-step guide on checking your fuse box and trip switch shows you how to reset a tripped switch safely and find the appliance that caused it. If the switch keeps tripping, stop and call an electrician.
To see whether there is a known fault near you, you can check your postcode on our live map. It shows power cuts reported by the network operators, their estimated restoration times and reports from neighbours. For other ways to find out, such as operator maps and social media updates, read how to check if there’s a power cut in your area.
Reporting a power cut: who to call
Your energy supplier (the company that sends your bill) does not fix power cuts. The wires, cables and substations are run by your local network operator, and that is who you need to contact.
| Situation | Who to contact |
|---|---|
| Power cut in England, Scotland or Wales | 105 (free, 24/7, from landlines and mobiles) |
| Power cut in Northern Ireland | NIE Networks: 03457 643 643 |
| Fallen or sparking power line, fire, or risk to life | 999, then 105 |
| Smell of gas (Great Britain) | 0800 111 999 |
| Smell of gas (Northern Ireland) | 0800 002 001 |
| Urgent medical help that is not an emergency | NHS 111 |
105 works out where you are calling from and connects you to the right operator, so you do not need to know its name. Our guide to calling 105 and what happens next explains the recorded messages, what information to have ready and when it is worth calling back.
If you have a digital landline, it will probably stop working when the power goes off unless it has a battery backup. A charged mobile is often the most reliable way to call.
Staying safe while the power is off
The main dangers in a power cut are falls in the dark, fires from candles and appliances, and carbon monoxide from fuel-burning equipment. A few simple habits reduce those risks:
- Use battery torches or lanterns instead of candles where you can. If you do use candles, keep them in sturdy holders, away from curtains, and never leave them burning when you leave the room or go to sleep.
- Switch off and unplug cookers, heaters, irons, hair straighteners and similar appliances. If the power returns while you are out or asleep, they could start a fire.
- Unplug sensitive electronics such as TVs and computers, so a surge on restoration does not damage them.
- Leave one light switched on, so you know when the power is back.
- Never use a generator, BBQ, camping stove or patio heater indoors, in a garage, or near open windows and doors. Carbon monoxide can kill without warning.
- Stay well away from any fallen power line, even if it looks dead, and keep others away too.
Safety: A generator must never be plugged into your home wiring unless a qualified electrician has fitted a proper changeover switch. Back-feeding power into the network can kill the engineers working to restore your supply.
For more on candles, heaters, generators and fitting a carbon monoxide alarm, read our power cut safety guide.
Food in the fridge and freezer
The best thing you can do for your food is to leave the doors shut. According to food safety guidance, a closed fridge keeps food safe for up to about four hours, and a power cut of under four hours is unlikely to affect food safety at all.
A full freezer should keep food frozen for up to about 48 hours, and a half-full one for about 24 hours, as long as you keep it closed. These are estimates and depend on the model and how warm your kitchen is. If chilled food has been above 8°C for more than four hours, do not eat it.
Our guide to how long food lasts in the fridge and freezer covers what to keep, what to throw away and how to check food after a long cut.
Keeping warm and comfortable
Most central heating systems need electricity, even gas boilers, so a winter power cut usually means the heating goes off too. Homes lose heat more slowly than you might think, but it helps to act early.
- Gather everyone into one room, ideally a smaller one, and close the doors.
- Draw the curtains once it gets dark and block draughts under doors.
- Wear several thin layers, a hat and thick socks. Use blankets and sleeping bags.
- Have warm drinks if you can make them safely, and eat regularly.
- If you fill a flask with hot water before a forecast storm, you will have a hot drink for hours.
Read our guide to keeping warm in a winter power cut for more, including what to do about boilers and heat pumps when power comes back.
Looking after people who need extra help
A power cut is much harder for some people than others. Babies and young children, older relatives, people who are unwell, and anyone who relies on electrically powered medical equipment can be put at real risk by even a few hours without power.
If you can, knock on the door of an older or vulnerable neighbour to check they are warm, have a torch and know who to call. If someone depends on equipment such as a home oxygen concentrator, a hoist or a powered bed, follow the plan from their care team. If they are in danger, call 999.
The free Priority Services Register gives extra support to people in vulnerable circumstances, including people of state pension age, families with children under five, people who are pregnant, disabled or have a long-term medical condition. Help can include advance notice of planned cuts, priority updates and, in long power cuts, welfare support where it is available. Our guide to looking after babies, older relatives and pets has practical checklists for each.
How long will it last, and when power comes back
Most power cuts in Great Britain are fixed within a few hours, and many within an hour, because operators can often reroute power remotely. Storms are different: when damage is widespread, some homes can be off for days. Our guide to how long power cuts last explains what affects the timing and what estimated restoration times really mean.
When the power returns, do not switch everything on at once. Turn on appliances one at a time over a few minutes, starting with the fridge and freezer. Check that your heating, boiler and any alarm systems have restarted, and reset clocks and timers. Sometimes the power flickers back and goes off again while engineers finish the repair, so leave the unplugged electronics until supply looks steady.
Our checklist on what to check when the power comes back on covers boilers, food, medical devices and broadband routers.
Compensation: what you may be owed
In Great Britain, network operators must meet guaranteed standards set by Ofgem. If they miss them, you are entitled to a fixed payment. From April 2026, the main amounts for a home are:
| Situation | Payment for a home |
|---|---|
| Normal weather, off for more than 12 hours | £100, then £45 for each further 12 hours |
| Normal weather, one incident affecting 5,000+ properties | Starts after 24 hours, total capped at £400 |
| Category 1 storm | £90 after 24 hours, then £45 for each further 6 hours (cap £2,235) |
| Category 2 storm | £90 after 48 hours, then £45 for each further 6 hours (cap £2,235) |
| Four or more cuts of at least 3 hours in one year (1 April to 31 March) | £100 (you must claim) |
Most of these payments are made automatically. The rules are different in Northern Ireland, where standards are set by the Utility Regulator. For full details, including planned cuts and how to chase a missing payment, see our guide to power cut compensation in the UK.
Frequently asked questions
Should I call my energy supplier in a power cut?
No. Your supplier handles your bills and your meter, but it does not repair the network. Call 105 in England, Scotland or Wales, or NIE Networks on 03457 643 643 in Northern Ireland. The only time your supplier is the right contact is if the problem is a faulty meter or prepayment credit.
Is 105 free to call from a mobile?
Yes. 105 is free from most landlines and mobiles in England, Scotland and Wales, and it is open 24 hours a day, every day.
Do I need to report a power cut if my neighbours already have?
If the operator already knows about the fault, 105 will usually play a recorded message telling you so, and you do not need to stay on the line. It is still worth reporting if you are on the Priority Services Register, if you can see damage, or if your neighbours get their power back and you do not.
Will my mobile phone work in a power cut?
Your mobile will work while its battery lasts and while the local mast has power. Masts may only have limited backup, so in a long cut signal can drop. Keep your phone charged, lower the screen brightness and close apps you don’t need.
Can I use my solar panels in a power cut?
Usually not. Ordinary grid-connected solar panels switch off automatically in a power cut so that engineers are not put at risk. Only systems with a battery and a backup or emergency power supply feature can keep some circuits running.
If your power is off now, start by checking whether it is just your home, then look up your postcode and report the cut on 105 if the operator doesn’t already know about it. Once things are back to normal, it is worth spending ten minutes putting a torch, spare batteries and a list of these numbers somewhere easy to find.
Sources
- Powercut105 u2013 Energy Networks Association: 105 power cut number
- Ofgem u2013 Check if you can get a payment for a power cut
- SP Energy Networks u2013 What to do in a power cut
- Electricity North West u2013 Checks for if you are without power
- National Energy System Operator u2013 Energy outages
- National Grid Electricity Distribution u2013 Key performance targets
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.