What actually happens in a long power cut, and what to do

Most power cuts are over in a few hours. Call 105, free in England, Scotland and Wales (03457 643643 in Northern Ireland, GOV.UK Prepare, checked 26 Aug 2026), keep the fridge and freezer doors shut, use torches rather than candles, and check on neighbours. Long cuts are rare, and there is a plan for those too.

First, the calm bit

Most power cuts end before you have finished finding the torch. A fault at a substation, a digger through a cable, a branch on a line: engineers are usually already on their way, because the network operator can see the fault before you ring.

The cuts that run into days almost always follow a big storm, and even then most homes are back on within hours. This page covers the ordinary evening cut and the rare long one, because the same small preparations cover both.

What actually goes off when the power goes off

More than the lights. It is worth knowing this list before it happens, because some of it surprises people every time.

The heating, even with a gas boiler. The boiler burns gas, but its pump, controls and ignition run on mains electricity, so most central heating stops.
The wifi. The router is plugged into the wall, so the internet goes with it, along with smart speakers, video doorbells and anything else that leans on it.
A landline that has moved to digital. If your landline now runs through your broadband router, it stops when the router does. Your mobile keeps working while it has charge and the local mast has power.
Cordless phones. The base station needs mains power, even if the phone line itself is fine.
Lifts. If you live in a block, the stairs are the way down until the power returns.
Some taps in flats. Where water is pumped to upper floors, pressure can drop or stop while the pumps are off.
Card payments nearby. Tills and card machines fail with everything else. In April 2025, parts of the Iberian Peninsula were without power for up to 19 hours (NESO, checked 26 Aug 2026), and card payments failed widely, as reported at the time, which is a good argument for a little cash at home.

The first hour

Do these in roughly this order. None takes more than a few minutes.

Check whether it is just your house. Look at the fuse box for a tripped switch, and look out of the window at the neighbours and the street lights. If it is only you, it is your wiring, not the network.
Call 105. It is free and it connects you to your local electricity network operator, the company that owns the wires, in England, Scotland and Wales; in Northern Ireland call 03457 643643 (GOV.UK Prepare, checked 26 Aug 2026). They can tell you what has happened and give an estimate for the fix. The service also runs a website at powercut105.com. [VERIFY: powercut105.com postcode lookup and live updates — site blocked automated checking at time of writing]
Torches on, candles left in the drawer. The government’s preparedness guidance recommends a battery or wind-up torch as the safer choice. If you must use candles, never leave one unattended.
Keep the fridge and freezer doors shut. Every opening costs you cold. The timings are further down.
Turn off anything that should not restart on its own, like the hob, the iron or an electric heater, and leave one light switched on so you know the moment the power is back.
Check on neighbours. The government’s guidance asks households to check in on neighbours in an emergency, particularly if the power goes out. A knock and a spare torch is plenty.
Tell the children in one sentence. “The power’s off for a bit, the electricity company is fixing it, we’ve got torches.”

Keeping warm, fed and lit, safely

One safety rule sits above everything else in this section.

Never use a camping stove, barbecue, generator or patio heater indoors, in a garage, or in a tent. They produce carbon monoxide, which you cannot see and which the NHS says does not have any taste or smell, and it can kill (NHS, checked 26 Aug 2026). Cold is uncomfortable; carbon monoxide is lethal. There is no exception for “just a few minutes with the window open”.

For warmth, pick one room, shut its door, and layer up: jumpers, blankets, hats indoors if it is really cold. For food, this is what the no-cook shelf is for; the government’s preparedness guidance recommends keeping non-perishable food that does not need cooking, along with a battery or wind-up radio for updates during a power cut. You would be in good company building that shelf: 49% of UK adults already keep a torch in case of emergencies and 47% keep tinned goods (LINK Cash Index, published May 2026). The full list is in the home emergency kit.

Your fridge and freezer

Left shut, a fridge should stay cold for up to 4 hours, and food in a freezer should stay frozen for up to 48 hours if it is full, or about 24 hours if it is half full (Food Standards Agency, checked 26 Aug 2026). So in a normal evening cut, your food is fine; do nothing except keep the doors closed.

In a longer cut, the FSA advises that fridge food is safe below 8°C, and that once the temperature reaches 8°C or above, food that normally needs refrigeration should be eaten within 4 hours. The detail, including what to eat first and when to throw food away, is in how long a fridge lasts without power.

Phones and power banks

A charged power bank is on the government’s preparedness kit list for good reason: your mobile is your torch, your radio, your news and your link to the network operator. 37% of UK adults now keep one (LINK Cash Index, published May 2026). Keep it charged, and remember the car can charge a phone too if you have a cable.

While you have signal and battery, get your updates from your network operator via 105 or their app, or from a battery or wind-up radio. Save the phone’s battery for what matters: low power mode on, screen dimmed, one designated family group chat instead of six.

Who to check on, and the Priority Services Register

Think now, in the warm and the light, about who near you would struggle in a cut: anyone older, anyone unwell, anyone who relies on electrical medical equipment at home, anyone whose only phone is a cordless one. They are the first knock when the lights go out.

If that person is you or someone in your house, sign up to the Priority Services Register before anything happens. It is free, it tells your network operator you need extra support when the power goes off, and you register through your energy supplier or network operator. [VERIFY: exact PSR services offered during a power cut — Ofgem Priority Services Register page or your network operator] Our Priority Services Register guide walks through signing up.

Compensation exists, and it is usually automatic

The rules are set by Ofgem and the money comes from your electricity network operator, not the supplier that sends your bill. In normal weather, if fewer than 5,000 homes are affected, you are due £95 once you have been off supply for more than 12 hours, then £45 for each further 12 hours (Ofgem, checked 26 Aug 2026). If the fault affects more than 5,000 homes, the £95 starts after 24 hours and payments are capped at £390 in total.

Storms run on a longer clock. In a category 1 storm you can get £85 once you have been off for 24 hours, in the most severe category 2 storms £85 after 48 hours, and in both cases £45 for every further 6 hours, up to a maximum of £2,165 (Ofgem, checked 26 Aug 2026). If you are cut off more than four times in a year (April to March) for at least three hours each time, there is an extra £95.

Payments are usually automatic. If nothing arrives after a qualifying cut, contact your network operator and ask.

What this asks of your body

When the power goes, the lift stops, and a block of flats becomes a stair test: down for supplies, up with the shopping, maybe with a child or a water bottle carrier in your arms. A long cut also means colder rooms and more fetching and carrying than a normal day. The five ready body tests tell you in ten minutes whether that would be an inconvenience or a real problem.

How to prepare for a power cut before the next one

Twenty minutes, one trip to the supermarket, done.

A torch where you can find it in the dark, plus spare batteries. One per floor is better.
A power bank, kept charged, next to the torch.
105 written on the fridge (03457 643643 if you are in Northern Ireland), so nobody is googling by phone light.
A battery or wind-up radio, as the government’s preparedness guidance recommends.
A shelf of food that needs no cooking, and a manual tin opener.
Know your fuse box, so you can tell your own tripped switch from a real cut.
Sign up to the Priority Services Register if anyone in the house needs extra support.

Frequently asked questions

Who do I call in a power cut?

Call 105. It is free and it puts you through to your local electricity network operator in England, Scotland and Wales; in Northern Ireland call 03457 643643 (GOV.UK Prepare, checked 26 Aug 2026). Your energy supplier, the company you pay, cannot fix the wires.

Why has my gas central heating gone off too?

Because the boiler is only half gas. Its pump, controls and ignition all run on mains electricity, so when the power goes, the heating usually goes with it. That is normal, and it will restart when the power returns.

How long will food last in the fridge and freezer?

Kept shut, a fridge should stay cold for up to 4 hours, and a freezer keeps food frozen for up to 48 hours if full, about 24 hours if half full (Food Standards Agency, checked 26 Aug 2026). Keep the doors closed and most cuts end long before this matters.

Can I use a camping stove or barbecue indoors to cook or keep warm?

No. Never, not even briefly, not even with a window open. Camping stoves, barbecues, generators and patio heaters all produce carbon monoxide indoors, which the NHS notes has no taste or smell and which kills people every year. Cold food and extra blankets are always the safer answer.

Will I get compensation for a power cut?

If the cut is long enough, yes. In normal weather the first payment is £95, after 12 hours off supply for smaller faults or 24 hours for larger ones; storms have longer thresholds (Ofgem, checked 26 Aug 2026). Payment comes from your network operator, usually automatically.

Should I unplug things during a power cut?

Turn off anything that should not restart unattended, like the hob, the iron or an electric heater. Leave one light on so you know when the supply is back. There is no need to go round unplugging everything else.

Do phones work in a power cut?

Mobiles work while they have charge and the local mast has power. A landline that has been moved to a digital service runs through your broadband router, so it stops with the wifi; cordless phone base stations also need mains power.

Sources & review

Get prepared for emergencies, UK Government: the 105 and Northern Ireland numbers, torch, radio, power bank and no-cook food recommendations, checking on neighbours. Checked 26 August 2026.
Compensation for energy supply issues, Ofgem: all compensation amounts, hour thresholds, storm categories, caps and the multiple-cuts rule. Checked 26 August 2026.
Food safety in a power cut, Food Standards Agency on GOV.UK: fridge and freezer timings and the 8°C rule. Checked 26 August 2026.
Power Cut 105: the 105 service’s own site. Automated fetch was blocked at time of writing; the number itself is verified via GOV.UK Prepare above.
LINK Cash Index, LINK, published May 2026: the torch, tinned goods and power bank statistics. Checked 26 August 2026.
Reflections on the April 2025 Iberian event, NESO: parts of the Iberian Peninsula were without power for up to 19 hours. The card-payments detail is as reported at the time. Checked 26 August 2026.
Carbon monoxide poisoning, NHS: carbon monoxide does not have any taste or smell. Checked 26 August 2026.

Reviewed by: TBC. Review date: 26 August 2026. Items marked [VERIFY] need checking before publication.