What to do if you lose power due to bad weather

Get immediate pricing Save up to 45%

Choose your business address

Can’t see the address? Enter manually

Address line 1

Address line 2

Post town

Postcode

Please tick to confirm you are looking for business energy prices. If you are looking for home energy prices then please click here.

Go Back

Please enter your business gas information

Go Back

Get Prices

Let’s save time, can we automatically gather meter information?

? What does this mean?
To get your quotes at lightening speed we need several key pieces of information which can all be found on your electricity bill. But by simply ticking this box, we can search ‘industry held data’ to get your meter number, electricity consumption and current energy supplier. This means that we can get you quick quotes without asking you to dig out all of your paperwork. This is personal data therefore we need you to allow us to access this information.

Go Back

Do you know your electric meter number?

Does your meter number end in any of the following?

Go Back

Enter meter number

I don’t know

Please enter your business electricity information

How much do you spend & how often?

An estimate is fine if you don't have a bill to hand

Start date for a new contract?

It’s a new business

Get Prices

Please enter your water information

How much do you spend & how often?

An estimate is fine if you don't have a bill to hand

It’s a new business

Go Back

Get Prices

Enter your details below to get quotes We’ve helped over 90,000 businesses

Your Name

Business Name

Phone Number

Email Address

Can we search industry held data to gain your meter number, supplier and usage for quoting? ? What does this mean?
To get your quotes at lightening speed we need several key pieces of information which can all be found on your electricity bill. But by simply ticking this box, we can search ‘industry held data’ to get your meter number, electricity consumption and current energy supplier. This means that we can get you quick quotes without asking you to dig out all of your paperwork. This is personal data therefore we need you to allow us to access this information.

I would like to receive email communication, including special offers, news and utility prices.

1) Address

2) Utility

3) Get Prices

James Longley

Managing Director

min read

With regions around the country expected to be battered by 90mph winds from storm Dudley and Eunice this week, and the Met Office issuing a ‘threat to life’ warning for parts of the UK, Brits will need to prepare for potential power outages and further damage to their home.

Our energy experts have revealed what you can do if you find you lose power after a spell of bad weather:

Firstly, how to spot if you’ve had a power outage:

If you suspect your power has been knocked out, call 105 to get information on power cuts in your area, or visit your supplier’s website. There are also a few other tell tale signs that the problem lies outside of your home:

At night, check if the street lights are on – if not, it’s likely because the local power is down, not just your home.
Check everything has gone off, and not just your lights or appliances – if it is, it could just be one of your trip switches.
Check your fuse box if it’s safe to do so – are any of the trip switches in an off position?
Check your prepayment meter hasn’t run out of credit.
Check with a neighbour if they have electricity.

Once you have established the issue, you can get in touch with your local network operator, who will be able to provide updates.

If you’re not sure who your energy supplier is, you can find out online. They will be able to tell you when you can expect the power to come back on.

How to prepare for flooding?

Whilst storms can knock cause a power outage, you should also be prepared for other severe weather events taking out your power, such as flooding. Storms can be very volatile and it’s best to be prepared for all eventualities.

If you live close to a local river and you know there is a risk it could burst its banks and flood locally, there are a few things you can do to prepare:

Turn off and unplug large appliances – think dishwashers, washing machines and TVs.
Move portable appliances like microwaves and gaming consoles to a higher position.
If you can see water is about to enter your property, turn your electricity off at the fuse box if it is safe to do so.
Never assume that if you enter a flooded property, the electricity is off – don’t touch any appliances as you could be at risk of getting electrocuted.

If your home does get flooded, keep away from all electrical equipment and call your supplier’s emergency number. Your internal wiring will need to be checked by a qualified electrician before you can turn it back on.

What to do if you have a power cut?

Power outages don’t usually last long. However, in the event of an extreme storm, you may be left without power for longer periods of time as it takes longer for your network operator to fix the lines safely.

If this happens, there are a few things you can do:

Firstly, stay calm – your distributor will have people working on getting your power back as soon as it is safe for them to do so.
Switch off electric appliances at the plug if it is safe to do so – sometimes, when the network is being fixed, electricity can run in surges. You don’t want to risk your expensive appliances getting damaged!
Keep an eye on your frozen food – if something defrosts it may not be safe to refreeze. As a rule, food in the freezer will keep for 15-24 hours if you can avoid opening it. For the fridge, it’s around 4-6 hours.
Make sure you can keep in touch with people – put your phone on low power mode, remove any apps running in the background and turn down the brightness. Use a car charger if you have access to one.
Try to leave a light on as this is an easy way of telling if the power is back on.
Stay warm with blankets and layers of clothing, in case the power outage lasts overnight.

For storms and bad weather, if your power is off for more than 24 hours, you will be entitled to £70 compensation. For storms of more than 48 hours, you’ll get an additional £70 for every 12 hours you don’t have electricity, up to a cap of £700.

If you are experiencing a period of bad weather and you know that a power outage is imminent, there are several ways you can prepare:

Keep several torches handy and make sure you have batteries, as candles can be a fire risk.
Purchase and keep charged a portable battery pack for your phone, so you are able to communicate and call your supplier.
Get some blankets and thick clothes ready in case you need to keep warm.
Make sure you have enough food and drink that doesn’t require electricity to heat it up.
If you rely on anything medically that needs battery power, make sure to chat to your doctor about a potential back up plan. You can also join the Priority service register which will let your supplier know about your medical needs in the event of a power cut.
Keep a plug-in telephone which doesn’t require electricity – most cordless ones will go down in the event of a power outage. You’ll need a phone to call your supplier.

How to prepare for severe weather?

If you are experiencing a winter storm and you know that a power outage is imminent, there are several ways you can prepare:

Keep several torches handy and make sure you have batteries, as candles can be a fire risk.
Purchase and keep charged a portable battery pack for your mobile phone, so you’re able to communicate and call your supplier.
Get some blankets and thick clothes ready in case you need to keep warm.
Make sure you have enough food and drink that doesn’t require electricity to heat it up.
If you rely on anything medically that needs battery power, make sure to chat to your doctor about a potential back up plan. You can also join the Priority service register which will let your supplier know about your medical needs in the event of a power cut.
Keep a plug-in telephone which doesn’t require electricity – most cordless ones will go down in the event of a power outage.
You’ll need a phone to call your energy supplier.

What are the different types of weather warnings?

Yellow Warning

Yellow warnings can be issued for a range of weather situations. Many are issued when it is likely that the weather will cause some low level impacts, including some disruption to travel in a few places.

Amber Warning

These warnings mean there is the possibility of travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and the potential risk to life and property.

Red Warning

Dangerous weather is expected and, if you haven’t already done so, you should take action now to keep yourself and others safe from the impact of the severe weather.

Why does power go out during storms and severe weather?

Heavy rain or lightning can cause a power outage and interruption by severing or breaking electrical cables, destroying power lines or insulation.

As our dependence increases on technology and electricity, there are still concerns that power will go out.

Get the best prices and deals on your utilities

Immediate pricing access to almost all UK suppliers

Business Gas

Immediate pricing access to all major UK gas suppliers. We can save you upto 45% on your business gas prices.

Business Gas

Business Electricity

We manage 20,000 electric meters for our commercial customers – So you’re in safe hands.

Business Electricity

Business Energy

We’ll find the best prices and provide you with a hassle free service for both your business gas and electricity….

Business Energy

Business Water

With our help. You’ll get a better quality service, lower water bills and better value for money.

Business Water

Compare business electricity rates and business gas prices

It only takes a couple of minutes to save £100's on your utility bills