105
Free national fault line
Free, 24/7
National Grid Electricity Distribution
Your DNO
serves Cornwall
15+
towns covered
incl. Truro, Penzance, Falmouth
up to £150+
Ofgem compensation
for cuts over 24h
Live outage map for Cornwall
The map shows incidents reported by users in real time, centred on Cornwall. Zoom in on your street to check whether a cut is your home only or a wider network fault — when neighbours are also dark, it is a National Grid Electricity Distribution job.
Granite moorland (Bodmin, Penwith), 700 km of indented coastline and isolated peninsulas — every storm hits the cliffs before the substations. Atlantic storms break over the Cornish coast first. Storm Eunice (2022) and Storm Babet (2023) both left tens of thousands of Cornish homes off supply for over 24 hours.
Live Power Outages in the UK
Unable to load outage data. Please try again later.
Report a power cut in Cornwall
Seeing a cut the map hasn't caught yet? Add it in seconds. Your report is anonymous and appears on the live map above so neighbours in Cornwall know what's going on.
Thank you. Your report has been submitted and will help others in Cornwall.
Reports are anonymous. We use your address to place the marker on the map and never display your personal details.
Why the power goes out in Cornwall
Cornwall is one of the most outage-prone counties in England: long single-route overhead lines run down the Penwith peninsula and out to the Lizard, with no easy ring-main redundancy. NGED's South West licence covers the entire county. Granite moorland (Bodmin, Penwith), 700 km of indented coastline and isolated peninsulas — every storm hits the cliffs before the substations.
Weather and terrain. Atlantic storms break over the Cornish coast first. Storm Eunice (2022) and Storm Babet (2023) both left tens of thousands of Cornish homes off supply for over 24 hours.
How the network is run. NGED depots at Bodmin, Truro and Indian Queens dispatch engineers across a vast rural network. The Isles of Scilly are off-grid with their own diesel-and-solar microgrid run by Hugh Town Power Station.
A local quirk worth knowing. Cornish severe-weather payments are some of the most frequently triggered in the UK — keep a written log of any cut over 24 hours and a £2,000 cap claim is realistic for the worst-hit postcodes.
What to do when the power goes out at home in Cornwall
Check whether neighbours are affected
Look at the street lights and the houses opposite. If they're on, your fault is inside your home — check the consumer unit. If they're out too, it is a National Grid Electricity Distribution network fault: call 105.
Dial 105 or 0800 6783 105
Have your full postcode ready. Ask the operator for an estimated time of restoration (ETR) and a fault reference number — both make any later compensation claim faster.
Unplug sensitive electronics
Unplug TVs, routers, computers and consoles to protect them from a surge when supply returns. Leave one light switched on so you'll know visually when the power is back.
Log start and end times
A cut over 24 hours in normal weather entitles you to £75 from National Grid Electricity Distribution under Ofgem's Guaranteed Standards. Severe weather has higher thresholds and a £2,000 cap. Keep a written log with photos — most payments arrive automatically within 10 working days.
The Selectra expert answers your questions on power cuts in Cornwall
Always to your Distribution Network Operator, not your supplier. In Cornwall that is National Grid Electricity Distribution. Dial 105 (Free national fault line) — free, 24/7 — or call National Grid Electricity Distribution directly on 0800 6783 105.
Atlantic storms break over the Cornish coast first. Storm Eunice (2022) and Storm Babet (2023) both left tens of thousands of Cornish homes off supply for over 24 hours. NGED depots at Bodmin, Truro and Indian Queens dispatch engineers across a vast rural network. The Isles of Scilly are off-grid with their own diesel-and-solar microgrid run by Hugh Town Power Station.
Yes. Under Ofgem's Guaranteed Standards of Performance, domestic customers in Cornwall receive £75 after 24 hours off in normal weather, plus £40 every additional 12 hours up to £300. Severe-weather events have higher thresholds and a £2,000 cap. Payment is normally automatic from National Grid Electricity Distribution within 10 working days — claim within 30 days if it doesn't arrive.
National Grid Electricity Distribution announces planned cuts by letter (and increasingly text or email) 2 to 8 days in advance. Most run 8am to 6pm and last 2 to 8 hours. Planned cuts do not qualify for Ofgem compensation unless your DNO failed to give adequate notice (a £40 payment applies then).
Power cuts in nearby areas
Other counties close to Cornwall — useful if your storm or fault crosses council boundaries.
Devon
National Grid Electricity Distribution
Somerset
National Grid Electricity Distribution
Bristol
National Grid Electricity Distribution
Dorset
National Grid Electricity Distribution
Herefordshire
National Grid Electricity Distribution
Gloucestershire
National Grid Electricity Distribution
Wiltshire
National Grid Electricity Distribution
Shropshire
National Grid Electricity Distribution
Other counties served by National Grid Electricity Distribution
Same operator, same emergency number, similar restoration patterns and compensation framework.