If your power is off
Call 105
Free, 24/7, from any landline or mobile. The 105 line routes you to UKPN 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 UK Power Networks delivers your electricity
UKPN holds three of Great Britain's fourteen electricity distribution licences. Its area covers all of London, the whole East of England and the South East. If you live in one of the regions below, the cables to your meter belong to UKPN.
London
All London postcodes (LPN licence area)
East of England
Norwich, Ipswich, Cambridge, Colchester, Chelmsford
South East
Brighton, Tunbridge Wells, Dover, Maidstone, Crawley
Outer commuter belt
Bedford, Luton, Stevenage, Hertford
Not sure if you are on UKPN's network? Use the quick check below.
How electricity actually reaches your meter
UK electricity moves in three stages, owned by three different kinds of company. UKPN owns one specific link, and it is not the one that bills you.
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1
Transmission: the high-voltage motorway
National Grid Electricity Transmission owns the very high voltage system (400 kV and 275 kV) that carries electricity from power stations and offshore wind farms across England and Wales. National Energy System Operator (NESO) balances supply and demand in real time across the whole of Great Britain.
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2
Distribution: UKPN's cables
UKPN takes electricity off the high-voltage grid at large substations, steps the voltage down through several stages (132 kV, 33 kV, 11 kV, finally 230 V), and carries it through cables under London streets and across pylons in the rural East and South East to roughly 8.4 million end connections.
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3
Supply: your bill
An energy supplier (Octopus, British Gas, EDF, OVO, and so on) buys electricity on the wholesale market, pays UKPN a distribution charge, then resells the electricity to you at a price capped by Ofgem. The supplier is the only part of the chain you can switch.
Is UKPN my electricity network? Quick check
Pick the region nearest your home. The check below tells you instantly whether UK Power Networks is your distributor.
Pick the region closest to your home address.
Yes, UK Power Networks is your electricity network.
In a power cut, call 105 free, 24/7. For a new connection or EV charge point, apply through UKPN directly.
No, your network is .
For power cuts the number is the same across Great Britain: 105. Read more about your operator.
UKPN or your energy supplier: who handles what
The single biggest source of confusion on a UK electricity bill: people call their supplier for things only the network can fix, then wait. The split below is fixed across Great Britain.
| If your issue is. | Call UKPN | 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 UKPN is paid, and why that matters to your bill
UKPN is a regional monopoly: you cannot choose a different electricity distributor. To stop monopolies from over-charging, the regulator Ofgem caps UKPN's revenue under a multi-year framework called RIIO (Revenue = Incentives + Innovation + Outputs).
Capped revenue
Ofgem caps how much UKPN can collect each year. If UKPN invests more efficiently, it keeps part of the saving; if it overspends, its shareholders absorb the loss.
EV charging and heat pumps
London and the South East are the busiest places in the UK for new EV charging and heat-pump connections. UKPN has to reinforce local substations and cables ahead of demand, often years in advance, and the cost is then recovered through the network charge.
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 UKPN network charge.
UK Power Networks: frequently asked questions
Call 105 from any landline or mobile, free, 24/7. The number routes you to UK Power Networks if the fault is on its network. Do not call your energy supplier: your supplier sells you electricity, but UKPN owns and maintains the cables and substations that move it to your home. If you can see a downed cable or there is a danger to life, also call 999.
The UK electricity market is split. Part of every electricity bill, the "distribution use of system" charge, funds UKPN and the other DNOs for maintaining the cables and substations. Your supplier collects it on their behalf. You cannot switch your DNO: it is fixed by your postcode. You can only switch your supplier.
No. Meter installation, replacement and smart-meter rollout is your electricity supplier's responsibility. UKPN owns the cable from the street up to the meter's incoming terminals (the "cut-out") plus the service fuse, and the cables across the wider network. If your meter is faulty or you want a smart meter, contact your supplier.
UKPN runs a connections service for new builds, extensions, renewables and EV charge points. You apply through the UKPN website with the property address, the maximum demand in kVA and a timeline. UKPN will tell you whether your street has the capacity required, the route for a new lateral cable, and a quote.
The Priority Services Register is a free Ofgem-mandated list of customers who need extra help during a power cut: pensioners, people with young children, those on home dialysis or oxygen, anyone with a long-term illness. UKPN uses the register to prioritise its response and provide alternative heating or accommodation during long outages. Sign up through your supplier or directly with UKPN.
Ofgem sets guaranteed standards of performance. If the fault leaves you without power for more than a defined number of hours (a higher threshold during severe weather), you are entitled to a payment, typically claimed automatically. The exact thresholds and amounts are reviewed by Ofgem and published on its website. UKPN must also keep you informed of estimated restoration times.