Before you assume the worst, work out one thing: is the power cut just your home, or the whole street? The answer decides who you call.
For a wider power cut in the UK, dial 105. It's free, 24/7, and connects you straight to your local network operator.
Is It Just You?
Are neighbours' lights and streetlights on? If they're off too, it's a network outage - call 105.
If only your home is dark, look for a tripped main switch or RCD in the consumer unit.
Switch the tripped breaker back on. If it holds, you're done. If it trips again, an appliance is at fault.
Unplug everything on that circuit, reset, then plug items back one at a time until it trips again.
Stay Safe in the Dark
- Use torches, not candles - candles cause house fires every winter
- Keep one light switched on so you know the moment the supply comes back
- Don't open the fridge or freezer unless you have to
- If you use medical equipment that needs power, tell your network operator now - they can prioritise you
Protect Your Food and Appliances
- A closed fridge stays cold for about 4 hours; a full freezer for around 24
- Switch off and unplug the oven, hob and iron in case power returns while you're out
- Leave the heating controls as they are - they'll resume automatically
- Surge-sensitive electronics are safest unplugged until the supply is stable
When to Call an Electrician
- The power trips again the instant you reset it, every time
- There's a burning smell, scorch marks, or a buzzing consumer unit
- Only some circuits work and you can't find an obvious cause
- Anything feels hot, looks damaged, or simply unsafe
Prepare for the Next One
- Keep a torch and spare batteries somewhere you can find them in the dark
- Save 105 in your phone now
- Know where your consumer unit is and how to reset a trip
- A power bank keeps your phone alive through a long outage
Who's Responsible - You or the Network?
Knowing where your responsibility ends saves you paying an electrician for something that isn't your fault. The dividing line is your home's main fuse.
- The network operator
- Everything up to and including the supply into your home. A street-wide outage is theirs to fix - report it free on 105.
- You (the homeowner)
- Everything from the consumer unit onwards - your circuits, sockets, switches and appliances. A fault here needs an electrician.
- Your supplier vs your network
- Your energy supplier sells you power; the network operator delivers it and handles cuts. For an outage, it's the network you want - 105 connects you.
If It Keeps Tripping
A breaker that won't stay on is doing its job - it's detecting a fault and protecting you. Don't keep forcing it back on. Work out which circuit and appliance is causing it, and if you can't, that's the moment to call.
- Unplug everything on the dead circuit, reset, then reconnect items one at a time
- The appliance that trips it the instant it's plugged in is your culprit
- If the board trips with nothing plugged in, the fault is in the wiring - call an electrician
- Burning smells or a warm consumer unit mean stop and call now - see 7 signs you need an electrician
When the Power Comes Back
Power doesn't always return cleanly - there can be a brief surge. Leave sensitive electronics unplugged until the supply is steady, and switch the oven, hob and iron back on yourself rather than leaving them set to come on while you're out. Reset the clocks, the boiler timer and the heating programmer once everything is stable. If the power returns but one circuit still won't work, the outage may have tripped something - head back to the consumer unit and check the breakers before assuming there's a fault.
For what a fault-finding visit costs, see our emergency electrician cost guide. If only your home is affected and the board won't hold, get an emergency electrician on the way.