Power cut compensation UK: how much and how to claim

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If your electricity has been off for a long time, you may be owed a fixed payment from the company that runs your local network. These payments are set by law under "guaranteed standards", and in Great Britain most of them are paid automatically. This guide sets out the 2026 amounts, when you need to claim, the time limits, what isn't covered, and how it works in Northern Ireland.

One thing to know first: compensation comes from your network operator — the company that runs the power lines in your area — not the energy supplier that sends your bill. Not sure who that is? See our power cuts by network operator hub.

How much is power cut compensation in 2026?

Ofgem updates the amounts each year in line with inflation (CPIH). The figures below are from Ofgem's 2026 payment update, which network operators had to apply from 1 April 2026. They apply in England, Scotland and Wales.

Source: Ofgem, Guaranteed Standards of Performance payment update 2026, Annex 2. Amounts are reviewed every year, so check Ofgem for the latest figures.

A worked example

Say a fault cuts power to your street (fewer than 5,000 homes) in normal weather, and it's off for 36 hours. Ofgem's own example works like this: you'd get £100 for passing 12 hours, plus two further payments of £45 for the next two 12-hour periods — £190 in total.

What counts as a storm?

During severe weather, the timescales are longer and payments rise in 6-hour steps. Ofgem defines two categories, based on how many faults the weather causes in a high-voltage area in one day:

• Storm category 1: unusually bad weather, including lightning, causing at least 8 to 13 times more faults than normal. The first payment is due after 24 hours.
• Storm category 2: very severe weather causing at least 13 times more faults than normal. The first payment is due after 48 hours.

You may see older articles mention a "category 3". That part of the rules was removed from 1 September 2023.

Your network operator decides which category applies. After a major storm, operators usually explain on their website how they'll pay. For example, Electricity North West told customers after a recent storm that it would contact eligible customers directly by text or letter.

Is power cut compensation automatic?

Mostly, yes. Ofgem says most payments are made automatically and you don't need to claim. Payment can be by cheque, cash or bank transfer, and operators may pay through your energy supplier — as a credit on your account or prepayment meter.

The main exception is the payment for repeated interruptions, which you must claim.

Repeated power cuts: how to claim

You can claim £100 if your supply is interrupted four times in a year, each for at least 3 hours. The year runs from 1 April to 31 March. Under the regulations:

• your claim must reach your network operator within three months after the end of that year (so by the end of June for a year ending 31 March)
• the cuts must all have affected the same property, while you were the customer there
• some cuts don't count, including planned cuts you were told about in advance and very large events affecting more than 500,000 customers in Great Britain

Keep a simple note each time the power goes off — date, time off and time back on. It makes a claim much easier. Our household emergency plan has space for records like this.

What if my payment hasn't arrived?

Ofgem says that if you haven't been paid automatically and it has been a few months, contact your network operator directly. If the payment was missed, it may owe you an extra £40. Have your address, the date of the cut and roughly how long it lasted ready.

What power cut compensation doesn't cover

Guaranteed standard payments are fixed sums for the inconvenience, not a refund of what you lost. Ofgem says you will not be paid for:

• blackouts caused by a national power shortage
• damage to electrical equipment or appliances
• a low supply after a power cut

Food and other losses: the guaranteed standards don't refund spoiled food. NIE Networks says it can't pay for freezer contents and advises contacting your home insurer, and Electricity North West says other losses should be claimed from your home or business insurer. Check what your home insurance covers before you need it.

Priority Services Register: being on the register doesn't increase payments. Ofgem says operators must offer extra help instead, such as battery packs for phones or medical equipment. See our Priority Services Register guide.

Power cut compensation in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has its own rules, set by regulations made under the Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order 1992 and overseen by the Utility Regulator. The network operator is NIE Networks. Its guaranteed standards include:

Key differences from Great Britain:

• You must claim, within 1 month, using the form on NIE's Making a claim page.
• Severe weather exemption. NIE says that when high-voltage faults exceed 13 times normal levels, no guaranteed standard payments are due.
• Changes are coming but not yet in force. In July 2026 the Utility Regulator decided on updated standards, including higher payments and a three-month claim window for supply restoration. The new regulations still need Department for the Economy consent and to go before the Northern Ireland Assembly, so the current NIE amounts apply for now.

For reporting and the Powercheck map, see our NIE Networks power cut page.

Quick checklist: making sure you get paid

• Note the date and time the power went off and came back.
• Check which network operator covers you (operator hub).
• In Great Britain, wait for the automatic payment — chase your operator if nothing arrives after a few months.
• Had four cuts of 3+ hours since 1 April? Claim within three months of the year ending 31 March.
• In Northern Ireland, claim from NIE Networks within 1 month.
• For spoiled food or damaged appliances, check your home insurance.

Limitations

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Amounts are reviewed every year and individual circumstances, exemptions and operator decisions vary, so check with your network operator and Ofgem (or NIE Networks and the Utility Regulator in Northern Ireland). Always follow official instructions during a power cut, and call 999 in an emergency.

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Sources

1. Ofgem — Check if you can get a payment for a power cut
2. Ofgem — Adjustments to Guaranteed Standards of Performance 2026
3. Ofgem — Guaranteed Standards of Performance payment update 2026 (letter and annex, 13 March 2026)
4. legislation.gov.uk — Electricity (Standards of Performance) Regulations 2015, regulation 7
5. legislation.gov.uk — Electricity (Standards of Performance) Regulations 2015, regulation 10
6. NIE Networks — Customer standards
7. NIE Networks — FAQs: unplanned power cuts
8. NIE Networks — Making a claim
9. Utility Regulator — Review of the Electricity GSS and OSP: Decision Paper (non-metering), July 2026
10. Electricity North West — Storm compensation

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