105
Free national fault line
Free, 24/7
SSEN
Your DNO
serves Shetland Islands
1+
towns covered
incl. Lerwick, Scalloway, Sumburgh
£95 to £390
Ofgem compensation
for a long unplanned cut
Live outage map for Shetland Islands
The map shows incidents reported by users in real time, centred on Shetland Islands. 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 SSEN job.
Long, narrow archipelago stretching 100 miles from north to south, treeless and exposed. Atlantic and North Sea storms hit Shetland directly — wind speeds over 100 mph are recorded every winter at Lerwick.
Live Power Outages in the UK
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Reports across Shetland Islands
Logged by residents of the county in the last 24 hours.
No resident has logged a cut in Shetland Islands 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 SSEN Power Track with your postcode, then add your report so your neighbours can see it.
Report a power cut in Shetland Islands
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 Shetland Islands know what's going on.
Thank you. Your report has been submitted and will help others in Shetland Islands.
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 Shetland Islands
Pick your town for local outage reports, the live map and your network operator's fault line.
Your village is not on the list? Shetland Islands has far more settlements than we hold pages for, and they all sit on the same SSEN 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 SSEN Power Track.
Why the power goes out in Shetland Islands
Shetland is the UK's northernmost council, with around 23,000 people across an archipelago of 15 inhabited islands. SSEN runs the entire network and historically operated a standalone island grid until the new HVDC link to mainland Scotland came online. Long, narrow archipelago stretching 100 miles from north to south, treeless and exposed.
Weather and terrain. Atlantic and North Sea storms hit Shetland directly — wind speeds over 100 mph are recorded every winter at Lerwick.
How the network is run. SSEN's Lerwick depot dispatches engineers across the islands. The Shetland HVDC Link (completed 2024) connects the islands to the mainland grid for the first time and provides a backup to local Lerwick generation.
A local quirk worth knowing. Shetland was the last UK area with its own standalone grid — until 2024, the islands ran entirely on diesel and gas turbines at Lerwick Power Station, plus the Burradale wind farm.
What to do when the power goes out at home in Shetland Islands
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 SSEN 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 — SSEN normally pays automatically.
The Selectra expert answers your questions on power cuts in Shetland Islands
Always to your Distribution Network Operator, not your supplier. In Shetland Islands that is SSEN. Dial 105 (Free national fault line) — free, 24/7.
Atlantic and North Sea storms hit Shetland directly — wind speeds over 100 mph are recorded every winter at Lerwick. SSEN's Lerwick depot dispatches engineers across the islands. The Shetland HVDC Link (completed 2024) connects the islands to the mainland grid for the first time and provides a backup to local Lerwick generation.
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) SSEN publishes for your specific fault — ask for it when you call 105, or read it off the SSEN Power Track 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 Shetland Islands — 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 SSEN is normally automatic.
SSEN 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 Shetland Islands — useful if your storm or fault crosses council boundaries.
Orkney Islands
SSEN
Aberdeenshire
SSEN
Aberdeen City
SSEN
Moray
SSEN
Angus
SSEN
Dundee City
SSEN
Highland
SSEN
Fife
SP Energy Networks
Other counties served by SSEN
Same operator, same emergency number, similar restoration patterns and compensation framework.