Get compensation for a supply issue

Single interruptions

Local network companies have 24 hours to restore supplies if more than 5,000 homes are affected by a single fault.

If you are cut off for 12 hours or more, you can claim:

• £75 as a domestic customer
• £150 as a non-domestic customer.

You can get a further £35 for each additional 12 hours of being off supply, up to a total of £300.

Multiple interruptions

You can claim an extra:

• £75 as a domestic customer
• £75 as a non-domestic customer. 

if you are cut off more than four times in a year, for at least three hours each time. The year runs from 1 April to 31 March.

The point at which you become eligible for compensation is dependent on how storms are categorised in severe weather, and how long you have been without a power supply for.

For Storm Category 1, you are entitled to £70 compensation if your supply is not restored after 24 hours. For Storm Category 2, you are entitled to £70 compensation if your supply is not restored after 48 hours.

For both storm categories you are entitled to a further £70 for every 12 hours you are without power after the initial restoration period (24 hours for category 1 and 48 for category 2).

The maximum amount of compensation you are entitled to receive for a single power cut is capped at £700, this is the same for both domestic and non-domestic customers.

Ofgem checks and verifies storm categories, which informs the level, and cap, for compensation to be paid to impacted customers.

Compensation for scheduled power cuts

If the power cut is because of disruption to Great Britain’ energy supply, you will not be entitled to compensation. This is because the power cut is not due to a fault on the network.

You can claim at least £40 if your gas supply goes off due to planned works, and your network operator did not give seven days’ notice.

For unplanned interruptions to your gas supply, you are entitled to at least £60 for every 24 hours it is off. There are also additional payments and provisions available for households on the Priority Services Register, such as alternative heating and cooking facilities.

You can claim more if you are off supply for more than 24 hours. The amount rises depending on how long it lasts for.

You can claim £20 if your gas supply goes off due to planned works, and your network operator did not give five days’ notice.

If your gas goes off because of disruption to Great Britain’ energy supply, you will not be entitled to compensation. This is because this is not due to a fault on the network.

You must claim within:

• three months for unplanned supply cuts
• one month for eligible planned supply cuts.

Make a claim through your local network company. 

We set service levels (‘guaranteed standards’) to make sure your energy supply is safe and reliable. If problems occur, we want supplies restored quickly, whatever the weather. 

We monitor how well network companies do this. We also monitor how well-prepared they are to deal with impacts on the network. We act if we think companies breach their obligations to customers.

Network companies are funded by Ofgem to ensure their grids give high levels of reliability, and so they can respond if severe weather hits.

You can learn more about how we set compensation payments in our guaranteed standards guide.