Why do we experience power cuts?

Although our network is known for being one of the most reliable and cost-effective networks in the UK, power cuts can still happen for a variety of reasons, including the following: 

• Fallen tress that make contact with overhead power lines or equipment
• Theft of our equipment- sometimes our substations are broken in to and our equipment is stolen
• Fire which damages the equipment on our network or in our substations
• Birds flying in to our overhead cables
• Deterioration or water seeping in to an aging cable
• Damages to cables from others for example:
  • customers digging in their own garden
  • contractors working in the public highway

The length of time to restore your electricity can vary depending on the reason for the power cut.  We will work as quickly as we can 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to restore your electricity as we know how inconvenient this can be to your daily life.

If your electricity keeps going on and off it could be that your power cut is a transient or intermittent fault.  Power cuts caused by this type of fault are very difficult to locate underground as they are very small, you can watch our video below if you want to know more about transient faults.