Power outages: while we usually don’t know when they’re going to happen, there’s one thing we do know – with the colder seasons approaching, extreme weather is likely to follow close behind, and that means an increased chance of power outages.

What happens during a power outage?

The modern home is powered by electricity. While this affords us many conveniences, it also means that, when there’s a power outage, a lot can go wrong.

Depending on how long the power has been out, you might experience food spoilage, equipment damage from power surges, and work disruptions (if you work from home).

How to prepare for a power outage

The electricity grid in the UK is generally very strong and stable, and we face comparatively fewer power outages when compared to other parts of the world.

But it’s not infallible. Extreme weather, including strong winds, storms and severe flooding, can cause damage to our infrastructure which may then lead to a power outage.

Unfortunately, we can’t predict when an extreme weather event is going to result in a power outage, but we can do the next best thing and prepare for it.

• If you think there’s a chance a power outage might happen, stay tuned into weather updates
• Turn off all non-essential appliances
• Fully charge essential equipment like your phone, a good capacity battery pack, and your work laptop (if applicable).

Power outage kits

An emergency kit filled with all the essentials will serve you well during a power outage. Even if there isn’t a power cut and you’ve prepared a kit, you can have the assurance that you’ll be prepared the next time there is one.

Items for a power outage emergency kit

Your emergency kit should include:

• A torch
• Medication
• Two gallons of water
• Ready to eat food
• A fully charged battery park
• A handwritten emergency contacts list.

You may also want to include essential baby or pet supplies in your emergency kit.

Can I claim compensation for a power outage?

In some situations, you can claim back money from your electricity provider if you’ve experienced a power outage. How much you can claim depends on how many hours you were without power.

If the power outage was planned and you were given less than 48 hours’ notice, or were given no notice, you can claim £30 from your distribution network operator (DNO).

For unplanned power outages:

• If fewer than 5,000 suffered a power outage, and you were without power for more than 12 hours, you can get £95 compensation and then £40 for every 12 hours without power that follow.
• If more than 5,000 suffered a power outage, the above applies but is capped at a total of £360 compensation.
• In instances of severe weather, you are entitled to £70 if the outage lasted for 24 hours, and will receive £40 for every six hours you’re without power up to £2,000. In these cases, it doesn’t matter how many homes were affected.

What to do when there’s a power cut

In the event of a power outage:

• Only open your fridge and freezer if it can’t be avoided. The rest of the time, keep them shut and drape a blanket over them for insulation
• If the weather’s cold, put on lots of layers to keep warm
• Check on any elderly neighbours or anyone else in your area you feel may need assistance
• Use flashlights, candles or even LED lights
• Call 105. No matter who your electricity provider is, if there’s a power cut, you should call 105. This will connect you with your local network operator, and you can report the outage to them.

For more information or for a full review of your insurance needs, please see our insurance specialisms, contact your usual Towergate Insurance Broker or email TIB@towergate.co.uk.


Consistent with our policy when giving comment and advice on a non-specific basis, we cannot assume legal responsibility for the accuracy of any particular statement. In the case of specific problems we recommend that professional advice be sought.