Portsmouth is a historic naval port on the Hampshire coast and the UK's only island city, home to around 269,600 people. Like everywhere in Great Britain, the energy market here splits into two halves that are easy to confuse: the supplier you pay your bills to, and the distribution network operator (DNO) that physically delivers electricity to your meter. You can change your supplier whenever you like; you cannot change your network operator.
This guide covers both: who runs the gas and electricity networks in Portsmouth, the emergency numbers you need when something goes wrong, the typical energy use of a Portsmouth home, and how to make sure you are not overpaying after a move.
Who supplies gas and electricity in Portsmouth?
There is no single "Portsmouth energy company". Every household is free to choose from the full list of licensed UK suppliers, and switching takes around five working days under the Energy Switch Guarantee. The major suppliers active across Portsmouth today include Octopus Energy, British Gas, EDF, E.ON Next and OVO.
Historically, Portsmouth's incumbent electricity supplier was SSE, a descendant of the old Southern Electricity Board. SSE's household supply business was acquired by OVO Energy in 2020, so former SSE domestic customers are now served by OVO.
Portsmouth distribution network operators
Your network operators are set by location and are the same whoever you buy your energy from. In Portsmouth, electricity is delivered by SSEN and gas by SGN. These are the companies to contact about supply faults, power cuts, new connections or moving a meter.
Electricity network
SSEN
- Power-cut line
- 105
- Available
- 24 hours, every day
- General enquiries
- 0800 980 1395
- Network area
- Southern England
Gas network
SGN
- Gas emergency
- 0800 111 999
- General enquiries
- 0800 912 1700
- Smell gas?
- Call immediately, day or night
What to do in a power cut in Portsmouth
If the lights go out in Portsmouth, the company to contact is your network operator, SSEN, not your energy supplier. The quickest route is to dial 105, the free national power-cut number, which automatically connects you to SSEN from any landline or mobile.
Power-cut checklist
- Check whether neighbours are affected too, if only your home is dark, check your trip switch first.
- Dial 105 (free, 24 hours) and the call is routed to SSEN by postcode.
- Track the fault and estimated fix time on the SSEN live power-cut map.
- Smell gas? Leave it to the gas network: call 0800 111 999 immediately and ventilate the room.
- Vulnerable or reliant on electrical medical equipment? Sign up free to the Priority Services Register for extra support.
Average energy use in Portsmouth
As a rough benchmark, a typical Portsmouth household uses around the figures below each quarter. They are useful for sense-checking your own bills, but the pounds you actually pay depend entirely on your tariff and the current price cap, so use them as a guide rather than a quote.
| Fuel | Typical quarterly use (Portsmouth) | UK typical annual use (Ofgem) |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity | 787 kWh | 2,700 kWh |
| Gas | 2,218 kWh | 11,500 kWh |
Quarterly figures: British Gas Energy Consumption Checker. UK annual figures: Ofgem typical domestic consumption values.
How to switch energy supplier when you move to Portsmouth
When you move into a new Portsmouth home you are automatically placed on the previous occupier's supplier under a deemed contract, almost always the most expensive rate available. Switching away from it is the single easiest saving you can make. Here is the order to do it in:
- Take a meter reading on move-in day and photograph the meters;
- Find out who the existing supplier is and open an account so you are billed correctly from day one;
- Compare tariffs at your new postcode and pick the cheapest fixed or variable deal;
- Submit the switch, your supply never gets interrupted and there is no break in service.
Portsmouth energy: frequently asked questions
You can buy your electricity from any UK supplier, British Gas, Octopus Energy, EDF, E.ON Next, OVO and others all serve Portsmouth. If you have just moved in and do not know who supplies the property, call the Meter Point Administration Service (MPAS) on 0845 601 4516 or check a recent bill left by the previous occupier. Your supplier is who you pay; it is not the same as your network operator, which in Portsmouth is SSEN.
To find out who currently supplies gas to a Portsmouth address, call the Meter Number Helpline on 0870 608 1524 and quote the postcode. As with electricity, you are free to switch to any supplier. The gas network that delivers it through the pipes, and who you call in a gas emergency, is SGN.
Dial 105, the free, nationwide power-cut line that routes you straight to SSEN, the network operator for Portsmouth. It works from any landline or mobile, 24 hours a day, and reaches SSEN wherever you are in Great Britain. Never call your supplier about a power cut; they do not run the wires. For a gas emergency or the smell of gas, call the National Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999.
The wholesale cost of energy is the same everywhere, but standing charges and unit rates vary slightly by region because each local network costs a different amount to run. Yorkshire sits close to the UK average. The single biggest factor in your bill is still the tariff you are on, switching off a deemed or standard variable tariff typically saves a Portsmouth household £200 to £300 a year. Compare deals at your postcode to see the difference.