If your electricity has just gone off, first work out whether the problem affects only your home or the wider area. In England, Scotland and Wales, you can report a power cut by calling 105 free of charge. In Northern Ireland, call 03457 643643. The UK Government’s power cut guidance also explains how to prepare before an outage and what to do while the electricity is off.
Once the outage has been reported, concentrate on a few priorities: make the home safe, conserve phone and backup battery power, keep fridge and freezer doors closed, stay warm or cool as conditions require, and check anyone who may need additional help.
What to do immediately in a power cut
- Check whether the outage affects only your home. Look outside to see whether neighbouring homes or street lighting have also lost power. If nearby properties still have electricity, check your consumer unit or trip switches if it is safe to do so.
- Report the power cut. Contact your electricity network operator rather than the company that sends your electricity bill. In England, Scotland and Wales, calling 105 will connect you to the appropriate network operator.
- Switch off anything that could become dangerous when power returns. Turn off ovens, hobs, irons, electric fires, fryers and similar appliances so that they do not restart unexpectedly.
- Protect sensitive electronics. Unplug televisions, computers and other equipment you do not need during the outage.
- Leave one light switched on. This gives you an immediate indication when the electricity has been restored.
- Keep the fridge and freezer closed. Every unnecessary opening lets cold air escape and reduces the time food can remain safely chilled or frozen.
- Use torches instead of candles. Battery or wind-up lighting avoids introducing an unnecessary open flame into a dark home.
- Conserve phone power. Lower screen brightness, avoid unnecessary streaming and use a separate torch rather than your phone’s light where possible.
Who should you contact about a power cut?
Your electricity supplier and your electricity network operator do different jobs.
Your supplier is the company that sells you electricity and sends your bill. Your network operator maintains the cables, substations and other local infrastructure that physically delivers electricity to your property.
For an ordinary network power cut, contact the network operator. Ofgem’s power cut advice confirms that if you lose power because of a faulty energy meter, you should contact your energy supplier instead.
If you see fallen power lines, damaged cables or other damaged electricity infrastructure, keep well away. Electricity at high voltages can jump gaps without direct contact. Report the hazard and do not attempt to touch, move or investigate damaged network equipment yourself.
Power cut phone numbers in the UK
| Area | Power cut contact |
|---|---|
| England | 105 |
| Scotland | 105 |
| Wales | 105 |
| Northern Ireland | 03457 643643 |
Calling 105 in Great Britain is free and connects you with the network company responsible for your area. Many network operators also provide online outage maps where you can report faults, check known outages and follow restoration updates.
In Northern Ireland, NIE Networks operates a 24-hour customer helpline on 03457 643643 and provides online outage information through its Powercheck service.
If there is an immediate danger to life, call 999 or 112. Power cut reporting services are not a replacement for the emergency services.
Keep phones, broadband and communications working
A modern power cut can quickly become a communications problem. Broadband routers normally stop working when mains electricity is lost, while mobile services can also be affected during a widespread or prolonged outage.
Use your phone battery deliberately. Reduce screen brightness, close unnecessary apps and avoid repeatedly checking outage information. If you have a charged power bank, save its capacity for communications and genuinely useful equipment rather than low-priority devices.
A battery or wind-up radio provides another way to receive information if broadband and mobile services become unreliable. It is also worth writing important telephone numbers on paper rather than relying entirely on contacts stored in your phone.
Will a landline work during a power cut?
Do not assume that it will. Unlike some traditional corded analogue phones, a digital landline generally needs powered equipment in the home and will not work during a power cut unless suitable backup is available.
Ofcom’s guidance on digital landlines says that people who depend on their landline to contact the emergency services must be offered a solution by their provider. This may include battery backup or another way to make emergency calls during a power cut.
If your household uses a telecare alarm, burglar alarm or another device connected to the telephone network, check with the provider how it will operate during an electricity outage.
How long will food stay safe during a power cut?
The simplest way to protect refrigerated and frozen food is to leave the doors shut.
The Food Standards Agency’s power cut advice says an outage lasting less than four hours is unlikely to affect the safety of food kept in chilled or frozen storage.
An unopened fridge should stay cold for up to four hours. Food in a full freezer may stay frozen for up to 48 hours, while a half-full freezer may manage around 24 hours. These are estimates rather than guarantees. Appliance design, room temperature and how frequently the door is opened will affect the result.
| Storage | Food Standards Agency guidance |
|---|---|
| Fridge | May remain cold for up to 4 hours if kept closed |
| Full freezer | Food may stay frozen for up to 48 hours |
| Half-full freezer | Food may stay frozen for around 24 hours |
A fridge thermometer becomes particularly useful during a longer power cut. Under normal circumstances, the Food Standards Agency recommends keeping a fridge at 5°C or below. During a power cut, food can remain refrigerated while the temperature is below 8°C.
If the temperature reaches 8°C or above, the Food Standards Agency advises eating food that normally requires refrigeration within four hours. Check its current guidance rather than relying on smell or appearance to decide whether potentially unsafe food is suitable to eat.
If the weather outside is below 8°C, some refrigerated food can potentially be stored outdoors. Keep it in clean, dry conditions inside a sealed container, away from direct sunlight and protected from animals and contamination.
How to stay warm during a winter power cut
Many heating systems stop working during a power cut even when electricity is not their main source of heat. Modern gas and oil boilers generally need electricity for controls, pumps, fans or ignition. Heat pumps depend directly on electricity.
During a winter outage, concentrate on keeping people warm rather than trying to maintain the temperature of the entire house.
- Wear several layers of clothing rather than relying on one heavy layer.
- Use blankets, duvets and sleeping bags.
- Close curtains and blinds to reduce heat loss through windows.
- Close doors to rooms you are not using.
- Spend more time together in one suitable room if that helps retain warmth.
- Keep clothing and bedding dry.
- Pay particular attention to babies, young children, older people and anyone whose health makes cold temperatures more hazardous.
If the property becomes dangerously cold and you cannot heat it safely, temporarily staying somewhere warm may be more sensible than improvising with unsuitable heaters.
Never bring a barbecue, camping stove or generator indoors
A power cut can create a much more serious emergency if fuel-burning equipment is used in the wrong place.
Do not use barbecues, camping stoves, petrol generators or diesel generators inside a home, garage, shed, conservatory or other enclosed space. They can produce carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas that cannot be seen or smelled.
The UK Chief Medical Officers’ national power outage guidance says generators should be positioned outdoors at least 6 metres or 20 feet away, with the exhaust facing away from windows and doors.
Only use portable heating or cooking equipment indoors if it is specifically designed and approved for indoor use, and always follow the manufacturer’s fuel, ventilation and operating instructions.
Do not improvise by burning household rubbish, old furniture, pallets, treated timber or unsuitable liquid fuels in a stove or fireplace.
What if someone relies on electrically powered medical equipment?
If somebody in your home relies on powered medical or care equipment, make a plan before the electricity fails.
Check whether the equipment has an internal or external backup battery, how long it is expected to last and how it should be tested. Speak to the equipment provider, healthcare service or manufacturer about what to do during an extended outage.
You should also consider joining the Priority Services Register if you or someone in your household may need additional help. Eligibility includes a range of circumstances such as disability, long-term medical conditions, reliance on powered medical equipment, pregnancy, older age, young children and some temporary situations.
Support can include priority assistance in an emergency and, wherever possible, advance notice of scheduled power cuts. Registration does not prevent outages, so households that depend on electricity for health or safety should still have their own contingency plan.
If loss of electricity creates an immediate danger to someone’s life or health, seek emergency assistance rather than relying solely on the electricity network operator.
Check on neighbours and other people who may need help
A short power cut can be a mild inconvenience for one household and a serious problem for another.
If it is safe to do so, check older neighbours, people with disabilities, households with very young children and anyone you know who relies heavily on heating, communications or powered equipment.
Useful help may be simple: passing on an estimated restoration time, lending a charged power bank, providing a torch or checking that somebody has enough warm clothing and food that does not require mains-powered cooking.
What to do if the power cut lasts several hours
As an outage becomes longer, priorities shift from waiting for the lights to return to managing limited resources.
- Battery power: reserve it for communications, lighting and equipment that genuinely matters.
- Food: keep chilled and frozen storage closed and begin monitoring temperatures during a longer outage.
- Water: use stored drinking water carefully if other local services are also disrupted. Government preparedness guidance recommends keeping bottled water as part of basic household emergency supplies.
- Heating: concentrate on reducing heat loss and keeping people warm safely.
- Information: check official updates periodically rather than continuously draining your phone battery.
- Cooking: use only equipment that can be operated safely in the location and manner for which it was designed.
- Travel: if severe weather caused the outage, consider whether travelling simply to find charging or supplies creates a greater risk than remaining at home.
Should you use a portable power station during a power cut?
A portable battery power station can be useful for selected loads such as phones, routers, lighting, laptops and some household equipment. Buying the largest unit you can afford is not automatically the best answer.
Start by deciding what you actually need to keep running. Check each device’s power requirement in watts and estimate how many hours you need it. A household wanting to charge phones and maintain lighting has very different requirements from one trying to support refrigeration, heating controls or medical equipment.
Battery capacity is finite, while kettles, portable heaters, electric hobs and other high-power appliances can consume large amounts of energy quickly. Backup electricity is most useful when you prioritise the loads that actually matter.
What to do when the electricity comes back on
When electricity is restored, check the house rather than immediately switching everything back on.
- Make sure ovens, electric heaters, irons and other high-temperature appliances are safely switched off.
- Reconnect sensitive electronics that you deliberately unplugged.
- Recharge phones, power banks, torches, radios and other backup equipment.
- Check fridge and freezer temperatures and deal with food according to current food-safety guidance.
- Restart routers, boilers, alarms and other equipment if necessary, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Reset clocks and timers that have lost their settings.
- Replace batteries, bottled water, food or other supplies used during the outage.
If nearby homes have power again but yours does not, check your consumer unit if it is safe to do so. If the cause is still unclear, contact the appropriate network operator or electricity supplier.
Can you claim compensation for a power cut?
Possibly. Ofgem sets guaranteed standards covering certain electricity supply interruptions. Whether compensation is due can depend on how long the outage lasted, the number of properties affected, whether the interruption was planned and whether severe weather was involved.
The thresholds and payment amounts can change, so check Ofgem’s current power cut compensation rules rather than relying on an old figure copied elsewhere. Network operators normally arrange payments that are due, but contact your operator if you believe you qualify and have not received one.
Prepare for the next power cut before it happens
You do not need an elaborate off-grid system to make the next power cut considerably easier. Start with inexpensive measures that solve the most common problems.
- Battery or wind-up torches stored somewhere easy to find
- Spare batteries
- At least one charged power bank
- A battery or wind-up radio
- A sensible supply of drinking water
- Food that can be eaten without mains-powered cooking
- Warm layers, blankets or sleeping bags
- A manual tin opener
- Important telephone numbers written on paper
- A plan for medical, telecare or other necessary powered equipment
Get into the habit of recharging backup batteries after use rather than discovering they are empty during the next outage. Check torches periodically, rotate food and water you normally use, and make sure everyone in the household knows where basic supplies are kept.
Know your load block letter
In Great Britain it is also worth knowing your home’s load block letter. In the unlikely event of a national electricity shortage requiring emergency rota disconnections, different areas can be disconnected according to these letters.
UK Government preparedness guidance says affected areas would be scheduled to disconnect from the electricity grid for around three hours at a time. You can find your load block letter using the postcode service at Powercut 105, and some suppliers also show it on electricity bills.
The next step is not automatically to buy a generator, home battery or large portable power station. Work out which devices genuinely matter, how much power they consume and how long you want to support them. That gives you a sensible basis for deciding whether a few power banks, a portable power station or a more substantial backup system would add useful resilience.
For broader household planning, the UK Prepared Start Here guide explains how to build resilience in practical stages. You can also explore our household resilience resources for checklists, planning tools and reference material.
Power cut questions
Who do I call for a power cut in the UK?
Call 105 in England, Scotland or Wales. The call is free and connects you with the electricity network operator responsible for your area. In Northern Ireland, call NIE Networks on 03457 643643.
Should I turn everything off during a power cut?
Switch off appliances that could become hazardous if they restart unexpectedly, including ovens, irons, electric fires and fryers. Government guidance also recommends unplugging televisions and computers to reduce the risk of surge damage. Leave one light switched on so you know when electricity returns.
How long will a fridge stay cold without power?
The Food Standards Agency says a fridge should remain cold for up to four hours if the door stays closed, although actual performance varies. A fridge thermometer is useful during longer outages.
Will my gas boiler work in a power cut?
Usually not. Modern gas boilers generally require electricity for controls, pumps, fans or ignition even though gas provides the heat.
Can I use candles during a power cut?
A torch is a safer first choice. Candles introduce an open flame at a time when rooms may be dark and people are moving around with limited visibility. Battery lanterns, rechargeable lights and wind-up torches are inexpensive alternatives that can be used repeatedly.
Is a generator useful during a power cut?
It can be, particularly where larger loads must be supported, but generators introduce electrical, fuel, fire and carbon monoxide risks. They need to be correctly sized, connected appropriately and operated outdoors in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and relevant safety guidance.
Power cut resources
- The UK Government Prepare website explains what to do before and during a power cut, including outage numbers, household preparations, communications and load block letters.
- Ofgem’s power cut guidance explains who to contact during an electricity outage, how network operators differ from energy suppliers and what households relying on powered medical equipment should consider.
- The Ofgem Priority Services Register guide sets out who may qualify for additional support and the types of assistance energy suppliers and network operators can provide.
- The Food Standards Agency provides specific guidance on fridge and freezer temperatures, how long food may remain cold during an outage and what to do when a power cut continues beyond four hours.
- Ofcom’s digital landline guidance explains why digital telephone services may stop during a power cut and what providers should offer people who depend on a landline for emergency calls.
- The UK Chief Medical Officers’ national power outage guidance covers keeping warm safely, carbon monoxide hazards and the safe positioning of portable generators.
- NIE Networks Powercheck provides live power cut information, fault reporting and outage updates for households in Northern Ireland.
- Ofgem’s compensation guidance explains the current rules for qualifying electricity supply interruptions and how compensation payments are handled.
