105
Free national fault line
Free, 24/7
UK Power Networks
Your DNO
serves Hertfordshire
17+
towns covered
incl. Watford, St Albans, Hemel Hempstead
£95 to £390
Ofgem compensation
for a long unplanned cut
Live outage map for Hertfordshire
The map shows incidents reported by users in real time, centred on Hertfordshire. 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 UK Power Networks job.
Chiltern foothills in the west, the Lea valley in the east, and rolling chalk farmland in between. Summer thunderstorms bring localised flooding to substations in St Albans and Hatfield; freezing rain on the Chiltern edge brings down overhead lines around Tring.
Live Power Outages in the UK
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Reports across Hertfordshire
Logged by residents of the county in the last 24 hours.
No resident has logged a cut in Hertfordshire in the last 24 hours. Our feed only knows what people tell it, so an unreported fault is still possible. For the confirmed picture, check the UK Power Networks live power cut map with your postcode, then add your report so your neighbours can see it.
Report a power cut in Hertfordshire
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 Hertfordshire know what's going on.
Thank you. Your report has been submitted and will help others in Hertfordshire.
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 Hertfordshire
Pick your town for local outage reports, the live map and your network operator's fault line.
Your village is not on the list? Hertfordshire has far more settlements than we hold pages for, and they all sit on the same UK Power Networks 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 UK Power Networks live power cut map.
Why the power goes out in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ring the northern edge of Greater London and is served entirely by UK Power Networks. The county has a dense commuter belt and several large data-centre clusters. Chiltern foothills in the west, the Lea valley in the east, and rolling chalk farmland in between.
Weather and terrain. Summer thunderstorms bring localised flooding to substations in St Albans and Hatfield; freezing rain on the Chiltern edge brings down overhead lines around Tring.
How the network is run. UKPN's Hertford and Watford depots cover the county. The data-centre cluster around Hemel Hempstead and Borehamwood drives major feeder reinforcement works.
A local quirk worth knowing. Hemel Hempstead's Buncefield depot fire in 2005 damaged the Maylands industrial area substations — the lessons learned still shape feeder layout and fire-zoning across the South East.
What to do when the power goes out at home in Hertfordshire
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 UK Power Networks network fault: call 105.
Dial 105 or 0800 31 63 105
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 — UK Power Networks normally pays automatically.
The Selectra expert answers your questions on power cuts in Hertfordshire
Always to your Distribution Network Operator, not your supplier. In Hertfordshire that is UK Power Networks. Dial 105 (Free national fault line) — free, 24/7 — or call UK Power Networks directly on 0800 31 63 105.
Summer thunderstorms bring localised flooding to substations in St Albans and Hatfield; freezing rain on the Chiltern edge brings down overhead lines around Tring. UKPN's Hertford and Watford depots cover the county. The data-centre cluster around Hemel Hempstead and Borehamwood drives major feeder reinforcement works.
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) UK Power Networks publishes for your specific fault — ask for it when you call 105, or read it off the UK Power Networks live 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 Hertfordshire — 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 UK Power Networks is normally automatic.
UK Power Networks 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 Hertfordshire — useful if your storm or fault crosses council boundaries.
Greater London
UK Power Networks
City of London
UK Power Networks
Bedfordshire
UK Power Networks
Surrey
SSEN
Buckinghamshire
SSEN
Cambridgeshire
UK Power Networks
Northamptonshire
National Grid Electricity Distribution
Berkshire
SSEN
Other counties served by UK Power Networks
Same operator, same emergency number, similar restoration patterns and compensation framework.