First, confirm what you're actually dealing with
- Look outside. If neighbouring houses and street lighting are also out, it's a genuine power cut affecting the network, not your property.
- Check your consumer unit. If the main switch and every RCD are still in the ‘on’ position but you have no power, that confirms it's a supply issue, not a fault inside your wiring.
- If it's confirmed as a network cut, call 105 — free, from any phone, connects you directly to your local Distribution Network Operator, who are the people actually working on it. Not your energy supplier, and not us.
- If your neighbours have power and you don't, or a switch inside your consumer unit has flipped off, that's a fault specific to your property. That one's ours — call us.
While you wait it out
- Unplug sensitive electronics — computers, TVs, anything you'd rather protect from a surge when power is restored.
- Keep fridge and freezer doors closed as much as possible. A full freezer typically holds temperature safely for around 48 hours unopened.
- Leave one light switched on so you know the moment power returns, without needing to keep checking.
- Have a torch or phone light ready rather than candles, especially if there are other electrical faults you're not yet sure about in the property.
- Check on anyone in the household who relies on powered medical equipment. If that's relevant to your property, mention it when you call 105 — DNOs prioritise vulnerable customers during extended outages.
When power comes back
Give it a minute before plugging sensitive electronics back in — restoration can occasionally bring a brief surge. If any circuit doesn't come back with the rest, try resetting that RCD once. If it holds, that's a reasonable outcome from a genuine network event. If it trips again immediately, leave it off; that's now a fault in its own right, not a leftover from the cut, and it's worth calling us about separately.
If it turns out to be your property, not the network
A switch that's tripped inside your own consumer unit, while the street outside is lit and powered normally, is a fault we can help with straight away — not something to wait out. See our guides on why an RCD keeps tripping or half the house losing power for what's likely going on, or just call and describe what you're seeing.
Common Questions
Who do I call for a genuine power cut — you or someone else?
For a cut affecting the wider area, your Distribution Network Operator (call 105, free, from any phone) is who's actually working on it — not us, and not your energy supplier, who only handles billing. If it's just your property while neighbours have power, that's ours, not theirs.
Is it safe to reset my RCD if the power comes back on but I've lost some circuits?
Try it once. If it holds, that's a reasonable outcome after a genuine network event. If it trips again immediately, leave it off and treat it as a fault in its own right rather than a leftover from the power cut — see our page on why an RCD keeps tripping for what to do next.
Can a power cut damage my appliances?
The cut itself, no. The surge when power is restored, occasionally, particularly for sensitive electronics. Unplugging expensive or sensitive equipment while the power's out, and plugging back in a few minutes after it returns rather than immediately, is a sensible precaution.
Why does my freezer alarm keep going off during a power cut?
That's the freezer doing its job — warning you the internal temperature is rising. Keep the door closed as much as possible; a full freezer typically holds a safe temperature for around 48 hours unopened, less if it's often opened or only partly full.
How do I know if it's a power cut or my consumer unit that's tripped?
Check the consumer unit. If the main switch and RCDs are all still in the ‘on’ position but you still have no power, that's a genuine supply-side power cut. If a switch has flipped to off, that's a fault inside the property, not a power cut, and it's worth checking whether neighbours have power too to confirm.
