Power gone? Report it first. In England, Scotland and Wales, call 105. It’s free from a landline or mobile, and it puts you through to your local electricity network operator. You can also report online through your operator’s website, which powercut105.com will find for you. In Northern Ireland, call NIE Networks on 03457 643643. (Prepare, Ofgem, SSEN)
It’s not a blackout. It’s a bit dark. Most UK power cuts are short and local, although longer ones do happen, often after storms (Prepare).
Before: an evening’s work now saves a scramble later
What should I have ready for a power cut?
The basics are a torch (battery or wind-up) with spare batteries, a charged power bank, a radio that runs on batteries or a wind-up handle, bottled water, and food that needs no cooking, plus a tin opener. That’s the heart of the public GOV.UK Prepare checklist. Keep it together, somewhere you can find in the dark.
- Numbers on paper: 105 (or 03457 643643 in Northern Ireland), family, neighbours, your regular medicines, and the frequencies of the radio stations you use for news (Prepare).
- Charge up when a storm is forecast: phones, power banks and backup batteries for medical equipment (Prepare).
- Check your landline. It may not work in a power cut, so ask your provider (Prepare).
- Fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm that meets BS Kitemark or EN 50291 standards (Prepare).
- Find your load block letter at powercut105.com or on some bills. It only matters if a national energy shortage (unlikely) led to rota cuts of about three hours by area (Prepare).
The first 10 minutes
Is it just my house or the whole street?
Look outside. If your neighbours’ lights are out too, the fault is probably on the network, so report it. If only your home is off, check your fuse box for a switch in the “off” position. Then look at your meter: if its display is lit, power is still reaching your home (SSEN).
To reset, SSEN suggests main switch off, then the small ones; main switch on, then the small ones one by one. A faulty meter is a job for your energy supplier, not the network (Ofgem).
Who do I call to report a power cut?
Report it to your local network operator, the company that runs the cables in your area. The company you pay your bill to doesn’t fix power cuts. In England, Scotland and Wales, report online or call 105, which is free. In Northern Ireland, contact NIE Networks online or on 03457 643643 (Ofgem, NIE Networks).
Your 10-minute checklist
- Get your torch. Torches are safer than candles, and your phone’s torch drains its battery (Prepare).
- Check it’s not just you, then report it.
- Switch off anything that heats up: ovens, irons, electric fires and fryers (Prepare).
- Unplug the TV and computer. A surge when the power returns can damage them (Prepare).
- Leave one light switched on so you know when the power is back (SSEN).
- Keep the fridge and freezer doors shut (Prepare).
- Stay well away from fallen or damaged power lines. High-voltage electricity can jump across gaps with no warning (Prepare).
In a life-threatening emergency, if your landline is dead, call 999 or 112 on a mobile. Emergency calls switch to any network with signal (Prepare).
If it lasts longer: the first 12 hours and beyond
How long will food last in the fridge and freezer?
According to the Food Standards Agency, a closed fridge keeps cold for up to 4 hours. A full freezer should keep food frozen for up to 48 hours, or about 24 hours when half full. These are estimates, and a cut of under 4 hours is unlikely to make food unsafe.
Use a fridge thermometer. Chilled food can stay in while it reads under 8°C. At 8°C or above, eat it within 4 hours or throw it away. If it’s below 8°C outdoors, a sealed box outside, out of the sun and away from animals, makes a spare fridge. Eat fridge food first and tins last (FSA).
How do I keep warm safely in a power cut?
Expect your heating to go off: gas boilers and heat pumps need electricity to work. Put on several thin layers rather than one thick one, get the blankets out, and settle everyone in one room. Close the doors to the other rooms and draw the curtains to hold the heat in (Prepare, Prepare: cold weather).
Keep moving to help circulation (SSEN), and watch older people, young children and anyone with a long-term illness closely (Prepare).
Can I use a camping stove, barbecue or generator indoors?
No. Never use a barbecue, camping stove or portable generator indoors, in a garage or in a tent. Never leave a car or other engine running in a garage. All of these can produce carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas you cannot see or smell, and it can be fatal (NHS, nidirect).
- Cook outside only. Most camping stoves and barbecues are made for outdoor use (FSA, Food Standards Scotland).
- Generators: place one where plenty of air can carry the fumes away (NIE Networks).
- Know the signs: headache, dizziness, feeling or being sick, weakness, tiredness, confusion, chest or muscle pain, and shortness of breath. Symptoms may ease when you go outside (NHS).
- If you suspect it: stop using the appliance if you can, get everyone outside, and get medical advice before going back in. Call NHS 111. Call 999 if someone is struggling to breathe, suddenly confused, unconscious, weak, or has chest or muscle pain (NHS).
- Gas appliance leaking? Call the free National Gas Helpline on 0800 111 999 (NHS). In Northern Ireland, call the Gas Emergency Service on 0800 002 001 (nidirect).
How do I keep my phone charged and get news?
Use your phone sparingly and top it up from a power bank. Your broadband won’t work without power, and mobile signal can drop if the local mast loses power too. Use a battery or wind-up radio for updates, and try both FM and digital stations (Prepare, Prepare: phone outages).
You may be able to charge a phone in your car (SSEN), but never with the engine running in a garage. A long cut can hit your water supply too; Prepare, citing the WHO, puts the minimum at 2.5 to 3 litres of drinking water per person per day (Prepare).
Should I check on my neighbours?
Yes, especially anyone who lives alone, is older, or relies on equipment. Knock, pass on anything you know about when the power should be back, and offer blankets or food if you can spare them. If they have a corded landline phone, it might still work (Prepare).
Will I get compensation for a long power cut?
Often, yes. In England, Scotland and Wales, network operators must restore power within set times or pay you. For a home, that’s £100 if fewer than 5,000 properties are off for more than 12 hours, plus £45 for each further 12 hours. Ofgem says payment is normally automatic (Ofgem).
Amounts for homes from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 (Ofgem):
| Situation | First payment | Then | Most you can get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal weather, fewer than 5,000 properties affected | £100 after 12 hours | £45 per extra 12 hours | No cap listed |
| Normal weather, 5,000 or more properties affected | £100 after 24 hours | £45 per extra 12 hours | £400 |
| Storm category 1 | £90 after 24 hours | £45 per extra 6 hours | £2,235 |
| Storm category 2 | £90 after 48 hours | £45 per extra 6 hours | £2,235 |
Ofgem’s storm categories are based on network faults, not on Met Office warnings. Cuts from a national power shortage, and damaged appliances, aren’t covered. No payment after a few months? Contact your network operator (Ofgem).
After: when the power comes back
What should I do when the power comes back on?
Check the fridge thermometer first and apply the FSA’s 8°C and 4-hour rule before eating anything chilled. Plug the TV and computer back in and check the heating has restarted. Then recharge the power bank and phones, replace torch batteries, and look in on your neighbours (FSA, Prepare). If the cut went past 12 hours, watch for your payment.
Note what you missed and add it over the next few weeks. Build it gradually: ready, not worried.
People who need extra help
- Medical equipment: make a plan now with your care provider or clinical team, covering what to do in a power cut and who to call (Prepare).
- Priority Services Register (PSR): free. You can join if you’re pregnant, have a young child, are over state pension age, have a disability or long-term condition, or use powered medical equipment. You get priority support in an emergency and, where possible, notice of planned cuts; if you switch supplier, register again (Ofgem). Signing up through thepsr.co.uk also passes your details to your supplier. In a cut, network operators must offer PSR customers extra help, such as battery packs for phones or medical equipment (Ofgem).
- Telecare and personal alarms: ask your provider how yours works in a power cut. Vulnerable customers, such as telecare users, must be given a free backup battery unit that keeps the landline working for at least an hour (Prepare).
- Stairlifts: check for a manual handle to get safely downstairs; most also have a backup battery (SSEN).
- Someone living alone: agree now that you, or a neighbour they trust, will visit in person if the phones go down (Prepare).
If you live in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales
- Northern Ireland: report a power cut to NIE Networks on 03457 643643 or online, rather than 105 (NIE Networks). First try resetting your trip switches, which can be inside or outside the house (NIE Networks). Ofgem’s compensation rules cover England, Scotland and Wales. NIE Networks aims to restore power within 24 hours; if it doesn’t, a home is due £50, then £25 for every further 12 hours. You must claim within 1 month, and severe weather can be exempt (NIE Networks). Registers for extra help are called Customer Care Registers (Prepare). Gas Emergency Service: 0800 002 001 (nidirect).
- Scotland: call 105, as in England. You can join the PSR for your electricity network and for Scottish Water at psrscotland.com. Food Standards Scotland gives the same fridge and freezer timings as the FSA (FSS).
- Wales: as England: call 105, join the PSR at thepsr.co.uk, and Ofgem’s compensation rules apply (Ofgem).
We’re putting together an Essentials Kit: the non-food essentials from the Prepare list in one bag, with a card saying exactly which water and tins to add. Join the list to hear when it’s ready.
Sources
- Prepare (GOV.UK), Power cuts: https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/be-informed-about-hazards/power-cuts/
- Prepare (GOV.UK), Get prepared for emergencies: https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/get-prepared-for-emergencies/
- Prepare (GOV.UK), Storms: https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/be-informed-about-hazards/storms/
- Prepare (GOV.UK), Cold weather, snow and ice: https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/be-informed-about-hazards/cold-weather-snow-ice/
- Prepare (GOV.UK), Phone and broadband outages: https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/be-informed-about-hazards/phone-broadband-outages/
- Power Cut 105 (Energy Networks Association): https://www.powercut105.com/
- Ofgem, Check if you can get a payment for a power cut: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/your-energy-supply/problems-your-energy-supply/check-if-you-can-get-payment-power-cut
- Ofgem, Adjustments to the Guaranteed Standards of Performance: 2026: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/guidance/adjustments-guaranteed-standards-performance-2026
- Ofgem, Join your supplier’s Priority Services Register: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/your-energy-supply/how-manage-your-energy-supply/join-your-suppliers-priority-services-register
- The Priority Services Register: https://www.thepsr.co.uk/
- The Priority Services Register in Scotland: https://psrscotland.com/
- Food Standards Agency, Food safety in a power cut: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/food-safety-in-a-power-cut-advice-for-consumers/food-safety-in-a-power-cut-advice-for-consumers
- Food Standards Scotland, Power cuts: https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/consumer-advice/food-safety/food-safety-in-the-kitchen/power-cuts
- NHS, Carbon monoxide poisoning: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/carbon-monoxide-poisoning/
- SSEN, What to do during a power cut: https://www.ssen.co.uk/power-cuts-emergencies/what-to-do-during-a-power-cut/
- NIE Networks, Power cut help: https://www.nienetworks.co.uk/power-cuts/advice
- NIE Networks, Report a power cut: https://www.nienetworks.co.uk/power-cuts/power-cut
- NIE Networks, Customer standards: https://www.nienetworks.co.uk/help-advice/claims-complaints/customer-standards
- nidirect, Energy, power supply and utilities: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/energy-power-supply-and-utilities
- nidirect, Gas safety and carbon monoxide: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/gas-safety-and-carbon-monoxide