About us News and Media Have your say Help and contact Accessibility Power cuts Electricity FAQs Safety Future energy Search Home Electricity Planned power cuts Back Planned power cuts We're committed to providing you with a safe and reliable electricity supply. We invest millions every year in upgrading and improving our electricity network. This involves regularly carrying out maintenance to prevent any damage to our electricity cables, lines and equipment. For example, we could be repairing or replacing an old or damaged underground cable. For our engineers to carry out this work safely, we may have to turn off the power in the area. If we need to switch off your power, we will give you as much notice as possible, unless it’s an emergency situation. We’ll send you a letter 12 days before we carry out the work to notify you. During the planned power cut we may also send out voice messages to let you know if we experience any issues, which could change the time your power comes back on. Don’t worry this doesn’t happen very often. Please note that voice messages won't work on cordless landline phones as these phones do not work during power cuts. If you would like to update us with the best contact number for you, please call us on 0800 31 63 105 or 105 to receive these updates. View today's planned power cuts. An example of the advanced planned power cut letters Before the planned power cut How can I prepare for a planned power cut? Preparations to consider before a power cut: What extra help can you give customers who are dependent on electricity for medical reasons? If you rely on electricity for medical equipment, it’s important that you let us know by calling us on 0800 31 63 105 and we can add you to our . Power cuts will affect equipment such as stair lifts, bath hoists and adjustable beds. Make sure that any essential medical equipment has a battery back-up. This means you can keep using it, even if the power is out. If you have a stair lift, check it has a manual release handle, you can use this to return the lift to the ground floor if you have a power cut. Can I change the date/time? Once we have confirmed a date and time for the planned power cut, we are unable to make any changes. This is because all of the preparation work has already been carried out. Our engineers have been booked to carry out the work, all materials have been ordered and we’ve also let other customers know in the area that the power cut will be happening at this time. Why wasn't I given more notice? Our regulator Ofgem states that we only have to provide 48 hours’ notice. However, we aim to give you as much notice as possible, unless it’s an emergency situation. We’ll send you a letter 12 days before we carry out the work. Why have you cancelled or postponed my planned power cut? Sometimes we may need to cancel or postpone the work because: What should I do with my fridge freezer? We recommend setting your fridge freezer to the coldest setting 12 hours before the planned power cut to ensure it remains cold during the work. Don’t open the freezer door unless you have to, this helps food stay frozen for longer. On the day Why wasn’t I told about the planned power cut? Our advanced warning letters are sometimes dismissed as junk mail. If you are concerned that your address may have been missed, please give us a call and we can check our records to ensure we have the correct information for you. Can you get the power on quicker? The times given on your advanced warning letter are based on how long we think it will take to complete the work safely. Sometimes, we can complete the work sooner but it depends on the work involved and the weather conditions. Can you turn the power off earlier or later? We’re unable to turn the power off later or sooner than the times provided. The time frame is the amount of time we need to safely complete our work. Sometimes, your power may go off later if there are any complications when our engineers are carrying out the work, or if they have problems getting to the area. Will you need to enter my property? Sometimes we may need to enter your property. This is because we may need to check a piece of equipment called a cut-out and a plug socket to make sure electricity is running safely into your property. This is called a ‘polarity check’. We will need to carry out a check in the morning, before we switch off the power and carry out another check when we turn the power back on. If we need to do this, we will send you a letter before letting you know. Can you give me a generator? Why did my neighbour get a generator and I didn't? We usually provide generators for customers who are medically dependent on electricity. However, we recognise that there may be other situations where a generator is required. For example weddings or funerals. Can I get compensation? We do not offer compensation for planned power cuts. We follow standards set by the industry regulator Ofgem, please read the for more information. I've been told I need polarity check - What's this? Sometimes we need to check a piece of equipment called a cut-out and a plug socket to make sure electricity is running safely into your property. This is called a ‘polarity check’. We will need to carry out a check in the morning, before we switch off the power and carry out another check when we turn the power back on. How do I look after my tropical fish? Who we work with We work with a number of partners to carry out maintenance on our electricity network. Avidety Avidety help us construct and refurbish our overhead and underground electricity network. Find out more Freedom Find out more Ground Control Ground Control specialise in vegetation management. They have supported us with our tree cutting programme in the Purfleet, Enfield, Stevenage and Hemel Hempstead areas since 2014 Find out more Keltbray Distribution & Transmission Keltbray Distribution and Transmission is a specialist provider of overhead line and substation services to the UK Distribution and Transmission market. Find out more Ipsum Utilities Ipsum Utilities is an independent electrical engineering and connections business. They help us maintain and improve our electricity equipment including cables and substations, across the East of England. Find out more Contact us Call us Free to call from a mobile or landline phone. Lines are open 24 hours. 0800 31 63 105 or 105 Chat Talk to us 24 hours a day. 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