Services
Power cut in London: is it your home or the street?
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The short answer
If you smell burning, see sparks, or a cable is down, stay well away and call 999. Street lit means the fault is inside your home; street dark means a power cut, so call 105.
The lights go out. Before you ring anyone, one question decides who you need:
Is it just your home, or is the street dark too?
If it is only your home, it is usually something inside it — a tripped switch or a fault — and not a power cut. If the street is dark too, it is the network, and the number to ring is 105.
If you can smell burning, see sparks, or a cable is down in the street — stay well away and call 999. If you smell gas, leave and call the gas emergency line on 0800 111 999.
At a glance
| Check | What it tells you | |
|---|---|---|
| Street lights and neighbours still on | The problem is inside your home | Usually |
| A switch in your fuse box is down | Tripped circuit — not a power cut | Usually |
| Whole street dark | A power cut: call 105 or check the live map | Usually |
| London’s network operator | UK Power Networks | Always |
| Off over 12 hours, normal weather, small outage | £100, then £45 per further 12 hours | Usually |
Step 1: is it your home or the street?
- Look outside. Are the street lights on? Do your neighbours have lights? If they do, the problem is likely to be inside your home.
- Check your fuse box (the consumer unit). If one switch has flipped down, something tripped it. How to reset it safely — and when not to — is in lights out, or the trip switch keeps going.
- If you have a prepayment meter, check it has credit. An empty meter can look like a power cut from inside.
- If the street is dark too, it is a power cut. Go to step 2.
Do not call an electrician for a power cut. They cannot fix the network.
Step 2: report it, or check it is already known
London’s electricity network is run by UK Power Networks, which covers London, East Anglia and the South East. It does not matter which company you buy your electricity from — a power cut is the network operator’s job, not your supplier’s.
- Call 105, or UK Power Networks directly on 0800 31 63 105. Both are on its own contact page.
- Check the live map by postcode, which shows known power cuts: UK Power Networks — power cut map.
If the map already shows your area, the fault is known. If it does not, report it.
While the power is off
- Unplug sensitive electronics, and leave one light switched on so you know when power returns.
- Keep the fridge and freezer shut. UK Power Networks has its own advice on how long food lasts without power.
- Keep your phone charged from a battery pack or a car, and save the 105 number.
- Use torches, not candles, if you can.
If anyone in your home relies on electricity for medical equipment, or would be at risk in a long power cut, ask about UK Power Networks’ Priority Services Register — set it up before you need it, not during.
What you are owed
Network operators must meet guaranteed standards set by Ofgem. In normal weather, according to Ofgem, a household is owed £100 if the power stays off:
- for more than 12 hours, when fewer than 5,000 properties are affected, or
- for more than 24 hours, when 5,000 or more are affected.
After that it is £45 for each further 12 hours. For outages affecting 5,000 or more properties the total is capped at £400. Ofgem also says there is an extra £100 if you have more than four power cuts of at least three hours each between 1 April and 31 March. Different rules apply in severe weather. The amounts are updated each year, so check Ofgem’s current figures.
If you think you are owed a payment and it does not arrive, ask UK Power Networks.
If the lights go at night
- Look out of the window first. A lit street means the problem is inside — which also means 105 cannot help.
- The live map is faster than the phone if your area is already known.
- An electrician at 3am is only worth calling for a fault inside your home, and only after the trip switch checks.
- Save your phone battery. It is your torch, your map and your line to 105.
The one-line version
Street lit? It is inside your home — check the fuse box. Street dark? It is a power cut — call 105 or check UK Power Networks’ live map. A long outage in normal weather earns £100, then £45 per further 12 hours.
Sources
- UK Power Networks — live power cut information, covering “London, East Anglia, South East England”
- UK Power Networks — live power cut map
- UK Power Networks — help and contact, listing 105 and 0800 31 63 105
- UK Power Networks — Priority Services Register
- Ofgem — check if you can get a payment after a power cut, the current amounts and thresholds
Checked: 22 September 2026 — against UK Power Networks’ and Ofgem’s own pages.