If your power is off
Call 105
Free, 24/7, from any landline or mobile. The 105 line routes you to SP Energy Networks if the fault is on its network. If you can see a downed cable, sparking equipment, or there is a risk to life, also call 999. Stay well clear.
Where SP Energy Networks delivers your electricity
SP Energy Networks holds two of Great Britain's fourteen electricity distribution licences: one covering Central and Southern Scotland, one covering Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and North Shropshire. If you live in one of the regions below, the cables to your meter belong to SPEN.
Central Scotland
Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Falkirk
Southern Scotland
Dumfries, Galloway, Scottish Borders, Ayrshire
Merseyside and Cheshire
Liverpool, Birkenhead, Chester, Warrington (south)
North Wales
Wrexham, Mold, Bangor, Llandudno
Not sure if you are on SPEN's network? Use the quick check below, or read about what to do in a power cut.
How electricity actually reaches your meter
UK electricity travels in three stages, owned by three different kinds of company. SP Energy Networks owns two of those stages in Southern Scotland (transmission and distribution) and one in Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales (distribution only).
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1
Transmission: the high-voltage motorway
In Southern Scotland, SPEN owns the high-voltage transmission system. In England and Wales the equivalent is owned by National Grid. NESO balances supply and demand across the whole of Great Britain in real time.
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2
Distribution: SPEN's cables
SPEN takes electricity off the high-voltage grid, steps the voltage down in stages and carries it through more than 100,000 km of cable across two non-contiguous areas, from the Highlands edge to North Wales.
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3
Supply: your bill
An energy supplier buys electricity on the wholesale market, pays SPEN a distribution charge, then resells it to you. The supplier is the only part of the chain you can switch. You may even be supplied by ScottishPower, but ScottishPower the supplier is a different company from SPEN the network.
Is SPEN my electricity network? Quick check
Pick the region closest to your home. The check below tells you instantly whether SP Energy Networks is your distributor.
Pick the region closest to your home address.
Yes, SP Energy Networks is your electricity network.
In a power cut, call 105 free, 24/7. For a new connection or EV charger, apply through SPEN directly.
No, your network is .
For power cuts the number is the same across Great Britain: 105. Read more about your operator.
SP Energy Networks or ScottishPower: who handles what
Same group, different jobs. Customers often dial ScottishPower (the supplier) when only SPEN (the network) can help. The split below is fixed across Great Britain.
| If your issue is. | Call SPEN (the network) | Call your supplier |
|---|---|---|
| Power cut on your street | Yes, on 105 | No |
| Downed cable or damaged pylon | Yes, plus 999 | No |
| New electricity connection or EV charger | Yes | No |
| Move, upgrade or smart meter | No | Yes |
| Switch tariff or compare prices | No | Yes |
| Bill, payment, direct debit | No | Yes |
| Solar panel or battery export | G98 / G99 application | SEG payment |
How SPEN is paid, and why that matters to your bill
SPEN is a regional monopoly: you cannot choose a different electricity network. To stop monopolies from over-charging, the regulator Ofgem caps SPEN's revenue under the multi-year RIIO framework.
Capped revenue
Ofgem caps how much SPEN can collect each year across its distribution licences. If SPEN invests more efficiently, it keeps part of the saving; if it overspends, shareholders absorb the loss.
Onshore wind to demand centres
Southern Scotland is one of the windiest places in Europe; the load centres in Merseyside and North Wales sit far away. SPEN invests heavily in transmission and distribution upgrades so cheap Scottish wind can reach English homes.
In your bill
Network charges typically account for around a fifth of a UK household electricity bill. Switching supplier only changes the supplier's margin and wholesale cost, not the network charge.
SP Energy Networks: frequently asked questions
Call 105 from any landline or mobile, free, 24/7. The line routes you to SP Energy Networks if the fault is on its network. Do not call ScottishPower customer service (the retail supplier): SPEN and ScottishPower are part of the same group but very different jobs. If you can see a downed cable or there is a danger to life, also call 999.
Same parent group, different jobs. SP Energy Networks is the network operator: it owns wires, cables and substations and is regulated as a monopoly by Ofgem. ScottishPower is the retail supplier: it sells electricity and gas to households and businesses. The two are legally separated to prevent the supply side from getting preferential network access, even though both sit inside the Iberdrola group.
At privatisation, the UK was carved into fourteen licensed distribution areas allocated to a handful of operators. ScottishPower ended up holding both the Central Southern Scotland licence and the Manweb (Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales, North Shropshire) licence. They are run as one business under the SP Energy Networks brand, but Ofgem still regulates them as two separate licences.
Apply through the SP Energy Networks website with the property address, the maximum demand in kVA and a timeline. SPEN will tell you whether your street has the capacity required, the route for a new lateral cable and a quote. For EV charge points and solar exports, SPEN processes the G98 or G99 application.
A free Ofgem-mandated list of customers who need extra help during a power cut: older people, those with young children, anyone reliant on home dialysis, oxygen or other powered medical equipment. SPEN uses the register to prioritise its response and provide alternative heating or accommodation during long outages. Sign up through your supplier or directly with SPEN.