Power cuts: what to do before, during and after

Before: the ten-minute version

The UK has a resilient electricity system, and most cuts are fixed within hours. Longer, wider outages can happen, usually after severe weather. The aim is simply to make the first few hours comfortable.

• A torch and spare batteries, kept somewhere easy to find in the dark. Be Ready puts it simply: “Torches are safer than candles.” Your phone’s torch works, but it drains the battery you may need for calls.
• The number 105 saved in your phone and written on paper (03457 643643 in Northern Ireland).
• A charged power bank. Our power bank calculator gives a rough idea of how long one will last.
• A battery or wind-up radio, with the frequencies of your local stations written down. Updates are often broadcast on local radio.
• Some cash, in case card machines and cash machines are down.
• Food that needs no cooking and bottled water. See the 3-day kit.

Check how your phone line behaves

Ofcom says digital landlines “need mains electricity and will not work in a power cut unless there is a battery back-up.” If you rely on your landline and do not have a working mobile phone or reliable mobile signal, Ofcom says your provider must offer you a free back-up solution, such as a battery unit, that lasts for at least one hour. Tell your provider if this applies to you, or if a telecare alarm is connected to your line.

Supplier or network operator: who does what

Your energy supplier sends your bills. Your local network operator runs the cables and fixes power cuts. That is why 105 puts you through to the network operator, not the company on your bill. The exception is a fault with your meter: Ofgem says to contact your supplier for that.

If you have a prepayment meter, check it has credit before assuming there is a power cut.

Find your load block letter

In the unlikely event of a national electricity shortage, planned cuts could be rotated area by area, about three hours at a time. Each area in Great Britain has a load block letter. You can look yours up by postcode on powercut105.com, and some suppliers print it on electricity bills. Write yours in your household plan.

During a power cut

1. Check whether it is just you. If your neighbours still have lights, check your fuse box (consumer unit) for a tripped switch, and check your prepayment meter if you have one. If a switch trips again straight away, leave it off and get an electrician to look. If the whole street is out, it is a network fault.
2. Report it or check for updates on your network operator’s website via powercut105.com, or call 105 (03457 643643 in Northern Ireland).
3. Switch off things that could be a hazard when power returns, such as irons, ovens, electric fires and fryers. Unplug TVs and computers, which can be damaged by a surge. Leave one light switched on so you know when the power is back.
4. Keep the fridge and freezer closed (more below).
5. Stay warm: layers, blankets, and close the doors and curtains of rooms you are not using.
6. Look in on neighbours, especially anyone older, unwell or living alone. Share blankets or news if you can.

If you need to call 999 and your landline is down, try a mobile. Ofcom says that even with no signal on your usual network, a 999 call will automatically connect through another mobile network if one is available.

Making your phone last

Mobile signal can drop if local masts lose power. Ofcom suggests lowering screen brightness and turning on battery saver mode. Use a torch rather than your phone’s light, and keep calls short. You can charge a phone from a car, but only with the car outside in the open air, never in a garage, because a running engine gives off carbon monoxide.

Food and the fridge

The Food Standards Agency says a power cut of under four hours is unlikely to affect the safety of chilled or frozen food. For longer cuts:

• A fridge should stay cold for up to about 4 hours if you keep the door shut.
• A full freezer should keep food frozen for up to about 48 hours (about 24 hours if half full). These are estimates and vary by appliance.
• A fridge thermometer helps. In a power cut, chilled food is fine below 8°C. Once it reaches 8°C or above, eat chilled food within 4 hours or throw it away.
• Eat things in this order: fridge food, then defrosted food that needs no cooking, then fresh food kept at room temperature, then tins and dried food.
• If it is colder than 8°C outside, you can keep food outdoors in a clean, sealed box, out of the sun and away from animals.

Cooking and hot water

Electric and induction hobs will not work. Gas hobs may, although many have electric ignition. Camping stoves and barbecues are designed for outdoor use only.

Babies

Powdered formula is not sterile and needs freshly boiled water. If you cannot boil water, ready-to-feed formula is the safest option. Follow the NHS guidance on making up formula, and ask your health visitor if you are unsure.

Generators and battery power stations

A petrol or diesel generator must only ever be run outdoors, away from doors, windows and vents. Never plug a generator into a socket to “back-feed” the house, and never connect one to your home wiring yourself. Connecting backup power to fixed wiring is a job for a qualified electrician, using a changeover arrangement that keeps your home disconnected from the network. Power fed back into the network can endanger the people working to fix the fault.

A battery “portable power station” gives off no fumes, but it is a large lithium battery and needs careful charging. Our power stations method page explains how to work out runtime and charge one safely. We do not recommend specific products.

Keeping warm without heating

Gas boilers and heat pumps need electricity, so heating usually stops in a power cut. Pick one room, close the door and curtains, and wear several thin layers rather than one thick one. Hats, blankets and sleeping bags all help. Older adults, babies and people with long-term health conditions are most likely to become unwell if they get cold. See our cold weather guide for the signs to watch for.

If you are thinking of using a portable heater that burns gas, paraffin or another fuel, read the carbon monoxide warning above first. Never use an outdoor heater indoors.

Medical equipment and extra help

If someone in your home relies on powered medical equipment, such as oxygen concentrators, home dialysis or ventilation, make a plan now with their care team or equipment provider. It should say what to do in a power cut and who to contact. Ask the provider how long any backup battery lasts.

Join the Priority Services Register if you are eligible. It is free, and many households qualify, including those with children under five. It does not guarantee a faster reconnection, but it can mean advance warning of planned cuts and extra support.

Medicines that need to be kept in the fridge, such as insulin, may need special care. Ask your pharmacist what to do with your particular medicine.

Compensation for long power cuts

In England, Scotland and Wales, Ofgem sets “guaranteed standards” for network operators. Ofgem says you will be paid automatically; you do not need to claim. Its figures for 2026 are:

• Normal weather: £100 for a home if power is off for more than 12 hours (when fewer than 5,000 properties are affected) or more than 24 hours (when 5,000 or more are affected), plus £45 for each further 12 hours. The maximum is £400 if 5,000 or more properties are affected.
• Severe weather: £90 after 24 hours (storm category 1) or 48 hours (storm category 2), plus £45 for every further 6 hours, up to £2,235. Ofgem’s storm categories are based on network damage and are different from Met Office warnings.
• No payment is made for a national power shortage, or for damage to appliances.

Ofgem updates the amounts each year. If you have not been paid after a few months, contact your network operator. In Northern Ireland the rules are set separately; ask NIE Networks.

When the power comes back

• Switch appliances back on gradually rather than all at once.
• Check fridge and freezer food against the guidance above before eating it. If in doubt, throw it out.
• Reset clocks, timers and your boiler if needed, and recharge your torch, radio and power bank so they are ready next time.
• Note what you wished you had. That is your kit list.