First minute: is it only your home?

Look at your fuse box (consumer unit). If a switch has flipped down, the fault is in your own wiring or an appliance: switch it back on once, and if it trips again, unplug appliances and call an electrician. If nothing has tripped and the street is dark too, it is a power cut on the network.

Report it

In England, Scotland and Wales, call 105 (in Northern Ireland, 03457 643643). 105 is free from landlines and mobiles and connects you to your electricity network operator, the company that owns the cables and substations in your area. You can also report the cut and see the repair estimate on the operator's website (Ofgem). Your energy supplier, the company that bills you, cannot fix network faults; call it only if the problem is your meter.

While you wait

Do	Why
Keep fridge and freezer doors shut	Food stays cold for hours if the doors stay closed
Turn off most appliances, especially electric hobs	Nothing starts unattended when power returns
Leave one light or a radio on	You will know when the power is back
Use torches rather than candles	Candles cause house fires; never leave one burning in an empty room
Charge nothing you do not need; use low power mode	Keeps your phone and power bank going

All of this follows the fire service's power cut advice (Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue).

Carbon monoxide and gas

Never use a camping stove, portable barbecue, charcoal or a generator indoors or in a garage. They produce carbon monoxide, which you cannot see or smell. If you smell gas, turn appliances off, open doors and windows, do not use electrical switches and call the gas emergency line: 0800 111 999 in Great Britain, 0800 002 001 in Northern Ireland.

Phones in a power cut

Landlines are moving to digital, and a digital landline stops working when the power goes unless it has battery back-up. Ofcom requires providers to offer customers who depend on their landline (no mobile signal, no mobile, or someone who cannot use one) at least one free solution that keeps emergency calls possible for at least an hour in a power cut, usually a battery unit for the router (Selectra, 30 September 2026). If anyone at home relies on a telecare alarm or pendant, ask the alarm company whether it works during a power cut on a digital line. Keep a charged mobile beside the landline.

People who need extra help

Check on older neighbours and families with babies. If someone relies on electrical medical equipment, tell 105 straight away. People in these situations can join the free Priority Services Register, which means extra help during cuts.

If it goes on for hours

Start the food clock and check what you may be owed. Homes in normal weather are paid £100 once a cut passes 12 hours, or 24 hours if 5,000 or more homes are affected.

What helps in the dark

A head torch or wind-up torch for each adult, so hands stay free on stairs and in the kitchen.
A charged power bank big enough for everyone's phones; check its charge when the clocks change.
A battery or wind-up FM radio for local news when mobile data is down.
An audible carbon monoxide alarm near anything that burns fuel, as fire services and the Be Ready cold weather guidance advise.