105
Free national fault line
Free, 24/7
Northern Powergrid
Your DNO
serves County Durham
12+
towns covered
incl. Durham, Darlington, Bishop Auckland
£95 to £390
Ofgem compensation
for a long unplanned cut
Live outage map for County Durham
The map shows incidents reported by users in real time, centred on County Durham. 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 Northern Powergrid job.
Pennine uplands in the west, coal-measure villages running east, and the Tees valley around Darlington. Snow on the high Pennine moors (Teesdale, Weardale) routinely brings down overhead lines for 24+ hours; the coastal strip sees North Sea easterlies that ice up the network.
Live Power Outages in the UK
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Reports across County Durham
Logged by residents of the county in the last 24 hours.
Bishop Auckland
Cut now resolved affecting the town, 10 resident reports.
Report a power cut in County Durham
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 County Durham know what's going on.
Thank you. Your report has been submitted and will help others in County Durham.
Reports are anonymous. We use your address to place the marker on the map and never display your personal details.
Power cuts by town in County Durham
Pick your town for local outage reports, the live map and your network operator's fault line.
Your village is not on the list? County Durham has far more settlements than we hold pages for, and they all sit on the same Northern Powergrid network: the number to call is the same 105, and the live map above covers the whole county — zoom in on your postcode. For a street-level answer on a hamlet, enter your full postcode in the Northern Powergrid power cut map.
Why the power goes out in County Durham
County Durham is the southern half of Northern Powergrid's Northeast licence area, covering Durham city, Darlington and the former pit villages between Consett and Bishop Auckland. Pennine uplands in the west, coal-measure villages running east, and the Tees valley around Darlington.
Weather and terrain. Snow on the high Pennine moors (Teesdale, Weardale) routinely brings down overhead lines for 24+ hours; the coastal strip sees North Sea easterlies that ice up the network.
How the network is run. NPG operates depots at Spennymoor and Tow Law. Many ex-mining villages were originally fed by overhead lines installed in the 1940s and 1950s — a long-term replacement programme is underway.
A local quirk worth knowing. Upper Teesdale villages (Forest-in-Teesdale, Langdon Beck) sit at the end of one of the longest overhead feeders in England and see the worst storm-related cut durations in the North East.
What to do when the power goes out at home in County Durham
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 Northern Powergrid network fault: call 105.
Dial 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
Under Ofgem's Guaranteed Standards, a fault affecting fewer than 5,000 properties entitles a household to £95 once the supply has been off for more than 12 hours (24 hours for a larger fault), then £45 for each further 12 hours, capped at £390. Storms use a separate scale: £85 plus £45 every 6 hours, capped at £2,165. Keep a written log with photos — Northern Powergrid normally pays automatically.
The Selectra expert answers your questions on power cuts in County Durham
Always to your Distribution Network Operator, not your supplier. In County Durham that is Northern Powergrid. Dial 105 (Free national fault line) — free, 24/7.
Snow on the high Pennine moors (Teesdale, Weardale) routinely brings down overhead lines for 24+ hours; the coastal strip sees North Sea easterlies that ice up the network. NPG operates depots at Spennymoor and Tow Law. Many ex-mining villages were originally fed by overhead lines installed in the 1940s and 1950s — a long-term replacement programme is underway.
There is no county-wide average worth quoting: a fault on an urban underground cable is often back within an hour or two, while an overhead line down in open country after a storm can take most of a day. The number that matters is the estimated time of restoration (ETR) Northern Powergrid publishes for your specific fault — ask for it when you call 105, or read it off the Northern Powergrid power cut map after entering your postcode. Planned cuts are announced in advance and normally run 2 to 8 hours.
Yes, under Ofgem's Guaranteed Standards of Performance. Where the fault affected fewer than 5,000 properties — most street-level cuts in County Durham — a domestic customer gets £95 once the supply has been off for more than 12 hours, then £45 for each further 12 hours, capped at £390. Where more than 5,000 properties lost supply, that first £95 applies after 24 hours. Businesses start at £190. Four or more cuts of three hours or longer in a single year earn an extra £95. Payment from Northern Powergrid is normally automatic.
Northern Powergrid 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 compensation unless your operator failed to give adequate notice.
Power cuts in nearby areas
Other counties close to County Durham — useful if your storm or fault crosses council boundaries.
Tyne and Wear
Northern Powergrid
Northumberland
Northern Powergrid
North Yorkshire
Northern Powergrid
West Yorkshire
Northern Powergrid
Cumbria
Electricity North West
Lancashire
Electricity North West
South Yorkshire
Northern Powergrid
Greater Manchester
Electricity North West
Other counties served by Northern Powergrid
Same operator, same emergency number, similar restoration patterns and compensation framework.