105
GB free fault line
Free, 24/7, any phone
03457 643 643
NIE Networks (NI)
Northern Ireland fault line
24/7
DNO availability
365 days a year
up to £150+
Compensation
for cuts over 24 hours
Power cut in my area now: live UK outage map
If your neighbours also have no power, it is a network fault and only your Distribution Network Operator (DNO) can fix it. In Great Britain there are 14 DNOs; in Northern Ireland a single operator (NIE Networks) runs the whole grid. The map below shows incidents reported by users in real time, with the affected area and the number of reports.
Network faults caused by weather, accidents or equipment failure are the DNO's responsibility — you don't need to do anything technical yourself, just log the cut and wait for engineers. For step-by-step safety advice, see our full guide on what to do in a power cut. In case of immediate danger (downed cables, sparks, burning smell) dial 999 first, then 105.
Live Power Outages in the UK
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Active UK outages right now
Reports submitted by users in the last 24 hours.
No active power cuts reported across the UK right now. Be the first to report one if your area is affected.
Data is based on user reports. Only active outages are shown. Confidence is calculated from the number of reports and their geographic proximity.
Report a power cut in your area
Use the form below to log a power cut in seconds. Each report helps neighbours in your area stay informed and lets the DNO spot incidents faster, especially where vulnerable customers or medical equipment depend on the supply. For the official network log, also call 105 or use your DNO's outage page (linked in the regional finder below).
Reports are anonymous and appear immediately on the live UK map above.
Thank you. Your report has been submitted and will help others in your area.
Reports are anonymous. We use your address to place the marker on the map and never display your personal details.
Have a power cut now?
Report it so DNO engineers can respond faster and your neighbours stay informed.
Calling your Distribution Network Operator in a power cut
In a power cut you call your Distribution Network Operator (DNO), not your supplier. Your supplier (British Gas, Octopus, EDF, OVO, E.ON Next…) handles the contract and your bill, but has no authority over the network. Only the DNO can restore supply after a network fault.
The simplest route is to dial 105 — free from any UK landline or mobile, 24/7 — which routes you automatically to the right DNO based on your postcode. You can also call your DNO's direct line, or report online via their live outage map. In Northern Ireland, NIE Networks runs the whole grid and uses its own fault number.
UK fault numbers
105: free national line for England, Scotland and Wales
03457 643 643: NIE Networks for Northern Ireland
0800 111 999: National Gas Emergency Service
DNO online tools
Each operator publishes a live outage map and online fault form. Use the regional finder below to jump straight to yours. Sign up for SMS updates so you know when the ETR changes and when supply returns.
Find the live outage map for your area
Each UK Distribution Network Operator publishes a live outage map. Pick your region and we'll send you to the right DNO and its live feed.
Pick the region closest to your address.
Your network operator
Quickest steps: call 105 for the live status, or read the operator's guide below for direct contact details and the live outage map.
Operator guideBrowse power cut guides by country
Pick your country to see its outage pattern, the DNOs that run the network, the right emergency number and the full county breakdown. Each country page lets you drill down into your local council area for a live map, a DNO contact card and step-by-step recovery instructions.
What causes a power cut in the UK?
Identifying the cause is the first step. If only your home is affected, the fault is almost certainly inside your installation. If the whole street or block is down, it is a network fault and the DNO is on it. UK outages split into planned cuts (maintenance, with letters days in advance) and unplanned cuts (weather, accidents, equipment failure). Only unplanned cuts that breach Ofgem's minimum restoration thresholds qualify for compensation.
Inside the home, the most common cause is overload: too many heavy appliances running at once. The main consumer-unit switch trips to protect the wiring — a normal safety mechanism you can reset yourself.
Severe weather
Storms (Arwen, Eunice, Babet, Isha) bring high winds, snow, lightning and flooding that damage overhead lines and substations. Rural networks with long overhead lines (Cumbria, the Highlands, mid-Wales, the South West) are hit hardest because trees, hills and helicopter access make repairs slower.
Planned maintenance
Your DNO schedules planned outages to upgrade or maintain the network — usually 2 to 8 hours on a stated date. Notice arrives by letter (and increasingly text or email) a few days before. Planned cuts are not eligible for Ofgem compensation: only unplanned long cuts are.
Equipment & third-party
Transformers, underground cables and overhead pole-mounted equipment fail with age. A digger through a cable, a car into a pole or a balloon across two lines also takes streets down regularly. Internally, household overload (heating + oven + tumble dryer at once) trips your consumer unit — reset it and reconnect appliances one by one.
How to restore the power yourself
If the cut is inside your home (a tripped switch, an overload), you can usually restore the power yourself in under a minute without calling an electrician or the DNO. The steps below work on modern UK consumer units.
If the main switch keeps tripping the moment you reset it, a faulty appliance is still plugged in. Unplug everything, reset the switch, then reconnect appliances one by one until you find the culprit.
Check whether the cut is yours alone or the whole street
Look at neighbouring houses and the street lights. If they are out too, it is a network fault: dial 105. If only your home is affected, the cause is inside your installation — move to step 2.
Find the consumer unit and reset the main switch
Open your consumer unit (usually near the meter, in a hallway cupboard or under the stairs) and flip any switch that has dropped back to ON. If the main switch trips back instantly, move to step 3.
Find the faulty appliance
Unplug every appliance, reset the trip, then reconnect them one by one. The appliance that trips the switch again is the faulty one. Also check the RCD (residual current device): if it has clicked to OFF, a wet appliance or earth fault has triggered it.
If nothing works, call your DNO on 105
If the main switch is ON but you still have no power, or you can't identify the cause, dial 105 (GB) or NIE Networks (NI). DNOs treat household fault calls as urgent: an engineer is normally on site the same day.
Power cut compensation: the complete guide
If a long power cut is the DNO's fault, you are legally entitled to compensation under Ofgem's Guaranteed Standards of Performance (often shortened to "GSOP"). These are minimum service levels every Great Britain DNO must meet — and they have to pay you if they don't. Northern Ireland has a parallel scheme run by the Utility Regulator. Payments are normally automatic: most DNOs credit your supplier or send a cheque without you needing to claim.
The thresholds depend on three things: whether the cut happened in normal or severe weather, how long it lasted, and how many cuts you've had over the past year. The table below summarises the key amounts; the sections that follow explain each one in detail and how to claim if the payment doesn't arrive.
| Scenario | Initial payment | Then | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal weather (domestic) | £75 after 24h off | + £40 every 12h | £300 |
| Normal weather (non-domestic) | £150 after 24h off | + £40 every 12h | £300 |
| Severe weather, Category 1 | £80 after the threshold (24–48h depending on storm severity) | + £40 every 6h | £2,000 |
| Severe weather, Category 2 | £80 after 48h off | + £40 every 6h | £2,000 |
| Multiple short cuts in 12 months | £75 | 4+ cuts of 3h+ each in a single year | per claim |
| Missed appointment / late notice of planned cut | £40 | per missed slot or notice failure | — |
Figures are Ofgem's published GSOP rates for the current price-control period. Payment is normally automatic from your DNO via your supplier or by cheque within 10 working days. Claim within 30 calendar days of supply being restored if it doesn't arrive.
Long single cut (normal weather)
If your supply is off for more than 24 continuous hours outside a declared severe weather event, your DNO must pay you. Domestic customers get £75; non-domestic (businesses) get £150. After the first 24 hours, an extra £40 is added for every 12 additional hours off, capped at a total of £300 per claim.
The clock starts when the cut is logged and stops when supply is back at your address.
Severe weather events
Storms (Arwen, Eunice, Babet, Isha…) trigger Ofgem's severe weather framework, with longer thresholds because more faults happen at once. Category 1 covers the most extreme events (millions of customers affected); Category 2 covers smaller but still abnormal storms. The first payment is £80 once the threshold is crossed, then £40 every additional 6 hours, up to a £2,000 cap per claim.
DNOs declare the severe-weather category after the event; payments are calculated on that basis.
Repeated short cuts
If your supply is interrupted four or more times of three hours or longer each in a single financial year (1 April to 31 March), you are entitled to a £75 payment. This is a separate scheme designed to compensate customers on chronically unreliable parts of the network.
Payment is automatic if the DNO knows you were on each cut; otherwise you'll need to claim with the dates.
How to claim compensation in 4 steps
Most compensation is paid automatically within 10 working days of supply being restored. If nothing arrives within a month, follow these steps to claim manually.
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1
Note the start and end time of the cut
Write down when the lights went out and when they came back, plus your full postcode and your MPAN (the long supply number on your electricity bill).
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2
Identify your DNO
Use the regional finder above to confirm which company runs your local network. Compensation is paid by the DNO, not by your supplier.
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3
Submit a claim within 30 days
Every DNO has a claim form on its website (or accepts a phone or written request). Provide the date, time, address, MPAN and a brief description of the cut. Keep a copy.
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4
If you don't get a response: escalate to the Energy Ombudsman
If the DNO refuses or doesn't reply within 8 weeks, the Energy Ombudsman can investigate for free. Their decision is binding on the DNO.
Damage to appliances and spoiled food
Power-surge damage to TVs, computers or games consoles, and food spoiled because a fridge or freezer was off for many hours, are not covered by Ofgem's automatic GSOP payments. Two routes to consider:
- Your home contents insurance may include cover for both — check the freezer contents and surge damage clauses.
- Where the DNO's equipment caused the surge, you can file a claim against the DNO directly with receipts, photos and (for expensive items) a technician's estimate. Decisions are case-by-case and slower than GSOP payments.
How to prepare for a power cut
Preparation makes a long outage far less painful, especially in rural Scotland, Wales or the South West where winter storms can take out the supply for hours. A few low-effort steps before the next storm warning save real grief.
Keep the kit below in an easy-to-find place — under-stairs cupboard, hallway drawer, anywhere you can reach in the dark. Recharge power banks every few weeks during winter.
Emergency lighting
A wind-up or battery torch and a head torch are safer than candles. Keep spare batteries together with the torch. Avoid leaving candles unattended.
Power banks & a hand-crank radio
A fully charged power bank keeps a smartphone alive for a day or two. A hand-crank radio gives you BBC news without depending on the mobile network.
Bottled water & non-perishables
Keep a few litres of water and tinned food per person. During a long outage, keep the freezer closed — a full freezer holds food for around 48 hours if the door stays shut.
The Selectra expert answers your questions on UK power cuts
In Great Britain, dial 105 from any landline or mobile. It is free, 24/7, and routes you automatically to your local Distribution Network Operator. In Northern Ireland, call 03457 643 643 (NIE Networks). Do not call your supplier (British Gas, Octopus, EDF, etc.): they cannot fix a fault on the network.
You call your DNO (Distribution Network Operator), not your supplier. The DNO owns the wires, cables and substations that deliver electricity to your home, and is the only party that can repair a network fault. Your supplier bills you and runs customer service, but cannot dispatch an engineer to your street.
Look at your neighbours and the street lights. If they are also out, it is a network fault: call 105. If only your home is affected, check the trip switches on your consumer unit and reset any that have dropped. If a switch trips back immediately, an appliance is faulty — unplug everything and reset again.
Yes, in most cases. Under Ofgem's Guaranteed Standards of Performance, your DNO must pay £75 if domestic power is out for more than 24 hours in normal weather, plus £40 for each additional 12 hours (capped). Higher thresholds and a £2,000 cap apply during officially declared severe weather. Payment is normally automatic; if nothing arrives within 30 days of restoration, contact your DNO with the date and full postcode.
Use the form on this page: enter your address, optionally describe the outage, and submit. Your report is anonymous and appears on the live map so other residents in your area can see it. For the official network log, also call 105 or use your DNO's online outage map (linked in the regional finder above).
Sign up for the Priority Services Register through your supplier. It is free and gives you advance notice of planned cuts, priority restoration, welfare calls and tailored support if you depend on home medical equipment. Anyone over 65, with a disability, on dialysis or oxygen, or with young children is eligible.
Planned cuts are scheduled by your DNO for maintenance and announced by letter, text or email several days ahead — usually a 2 to 8 hour window. Unplanned cuts are weather, accidents or equipment failures with no warning. Only unplanned cuts that breach Ofgem's minimum restoration thresholds qualify for compensation under the Guaranteed Standards.