The guaranteed standards set out service levels that must be met by each distribution company. These standards have been set to guarantee a level of service that is reasonable to expect companies to deliver in all cases.
If the distribution company fails to meet the level of service required, it must make a payment to the customer subject to certain exemptions. Payments under the guaranteed standards compensate for the inconvenience caused by loss of supply. They are not designed to compensate customers for subsequent financial loss. Ofgem monitors and enforces the guaranteed standards relating to quality of supply.
The guaranteed standards cover 12 key service areas, including supply restoration, connections, and voltage quality.