If your power is off
Call 105
Free, 24/7, from any landline or mobile. The 105 line routes you to SSEN 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 SSEN delivers your electricity
SSEN holds two of Great Britain's fourteen electricity distribution licences: one covering the North of Scotland (including the Northern Isles and Hebrides), one covering Central Southern England. If you live in one of the regions below, the cables to your meter belong to SSEN.
Highlands and Islands
Inverness, Fort William, Orkney, Shetland, Hebrides
North East Scotland
Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray
Central Southern England
Oxford, Reading, Slough, Portsmouth, Southampton
Berkshire and Hampshire
Basingstoke, Andover, Newbury, Winchester
Not sure if you are on SSEN's network? Use the quick check below.
How electricity actually reaches your meter
UK electricity travels in three stages, owned by three different kinds of company. SSEN owns the distribution stage in its two licensed areas (and, via Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission, the high-voltage transmission system in the North of Scotland).
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Transmission: the high-voltage motorway
In the North of Scotland, the SSE-owned Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission company owns the high-voltage network. In England and Wales the equivalent is owned by National Grid. NESO balances supply and demand across the whole of Great Britain.
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Distribution: SSEN's cables
SSEN takes electricity off the high-voltage grid, steps the voltage down and carries it through 130,000 km of cable across the two areas, from remote Highland glens to commuter towns in Berkshire.
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Supply: your bill
An energy supplier buys electricity on the wholesale market, pays SSEN a distribution charge, then resells it to you. The supplier is the only part of the chain you can switch. If your supplier is Ovo (formerly the SSE supply business), it is still a separate legal entity from SSEN.
Is SSEN my electricity network? Quick check
Pick the region closest to your home. The check below tells you instantly whether SSEN is your distributor.
Pick the region closest to your home address.
Yes, SSEN is your electricity network.
In a power cut, call 105 free, 24/7. For a new connection or EV charger, apply through SSEN directly.
No, your network is .
For power cuts the number is the same across Great Britain: 105. Read more about your operator.
SSEN or your energy supplier: who handles what
SSEN is the network operator; your supplier is the company that sells you electricity. The split is fixed across Great Britain.
| If your issue is. | Call SSEN | 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 SSEN is paid, and why that matters to your bill
SSEN is a regional monopoly: you cannot choose a different electricity distributor. To stop monopolies from over-charging, the regulator Ofgem caps SSEN's revenue under the multi-year RIIO framework.
Capped revenue
Ofgem caps how much SSEN can collect each year across its two distribution licences. If it invests more efficiently, it keeps part of the saving; if it overspends, shareholders absorb the loss.
Remote and rural cost
The Highlands and Islands network has the lowest customer density of any DNO in the UK. Long overhead lines, helicopter access in winter and undersea cables to islands make resilience expensive, and SSEN's RIIO settlement reflects that geography.
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.
SSEN: frequently asked questions
Call 105 from any landline or mobile, free, 24/7. The line routes you to SSEN if the fault is on its network. Do not call SSE the retail supplier (now Ovo Energy as a brand on the supply side): SSEN and the supply business are separate. If you can see a downed cable or there is a danger to life, also call 999.
Same parent group, very different jobs. SSEN is the network operator: it owns wires, cables and substations and is regulated as a monopoly by Ofgem. SSE plc is the parent, which historically also sold gas and electricity to households. SSE's retail supply business was sold to Ovo Energy in 2020 and now operates under the Ovo brand. SSEN continues to run the network independently of any retail supplier.
At privatisation, the UK was carved into fourteen licensed distribution areas. SSE ended up holding both the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric licence and the Southern Electric licence. They are run as one business under the SSEN brand, but Ofgem still regulates them as two separate licences with very different cost bases (rural Highlands vs commuter-belt England).
Apply through the SSEN website with the property address, the maximum demand in kVA and a rough timeline. SSEN will tell you whether your street has the capacity, the route required for a new lateral cable and a quote. In the rural Highlands and Islands the connection can require significant new infrastructure and the quote may take longer.
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. SSEN uses the register to prioritise its response and provide alternative heating or accommodation during long outages, especially important in remote rural areas. Sign up through your supplier or directly with SSEN.