WHAT TO DO IN A POWER CUT

PRIOR TO A POWER CUT – HELPFUL TIPS & ADVICE

• Keep a battery-operated torch to hand. Ensure batteries are checked regularly and kept in a suitable place. Candles or paraffin heaters are not advised to use in an outage.
• Protect computers and similar equipment with a surge protector plug, ensuring work is backed up regularly.
• For any home medical equipment, ensure you have a back-up battery solution on standby.
• Check in on vulnerable relatives and neighbours, ensuring they have enough supplies and means of contacting friends and family should the power go down.
• For medically dependent customers who rely on certain medical equipment and communications, sign up for the Priority Services Register for direct access to services and extra support. Visit your Distribution Network Operator’s website for more information.

STEPS TO TAKE WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT

Power cuts will happen from time to time and are quite often due to circumstances beyond the Distribution Network Operator’s (DNO) control.

In the event of an unscheduled power cut, there are a few simple steps you can take before contacting your DNO:

• Check with your neighbours to see if the power cut has affected your neighbourhood or can be directly linked to your property.
• If the power loss is confined to your property, check to see if all the fuses are intact inside your fuse box and none of them are ‘tripped’.
• Check the electricity meter for any obvious concerns. These can be located both internally and externally within some properties.

Once you have established that a power cut has taken place, whether within your property or within your neighbourhood, it’s good practice to keep a check list of actions that can help minimise any disruption:

• Turn off any sensitive equipment, such as computers, to prevent further issues when the power is restored.
• Check in with vulnerable neighbours, ensuring they have access to supplies and contacts should they need help.
• Use the 24/7 national contact number or call 150 to report outages in your area. Reporting a power cut will not only log the loss of power, they may also provide you with further information about how long it will last.

When working on the network for maintenance, your DNO will aim to notify you 5 days in advance to ensure you have enough time to prepare for planned power outages and to minimise disruption.

SAFETY FIRST

In an emergency it is essential you have the right details of who to contact. The risks associated with electricity cannot be underestimated and it is imperative that any cause for concern or risk to life be reported to your DNO straight away.

For instances where there are fallen or low hanging overhead power lines, sparking overhead cables or cables that are twisted together, it is always best to report your concerns. To report a dangerous issue or a power cut call 0800 6783 105. If in doubt, call 105.

Never attempt to move any fallen branches or debris away from potentially live cables, as quite often low-lying cables are still active and can be fatal if you come in contact with them. Keep clear of any dangerous hazards and report any damaged equipment or hazards without delay.

To reduce the disruption caused by a power outage, there are many ways in which you can prepare for unscheduled power loss, helping to make the process a little less worrying.

Priority Services Register

For medically dependent customers who rely on electricity to power certain medical equipment and communications, sign up for the Priority Services Register for direct access to services and extra support. Visit your Distribution Network Operator’s website for more information.

ARE YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF A POWER CUT?

If you’re currently in the middle of a power cut, you can use our postcode checker to find out the projected end time. Alternatively, you can report a power cut by calling 0800 6783 105. If in doubt, call 105.