If your power was off for more than 12 hours, you're probably owed money. As of October 2026, network operators in Great Britain must pay households £100 once the threshold is passed in normal weather. After a storm, payments start at £90 and can reach £2,235. Most of it should be paid automatically.
Storm Boelo hit on Sunday 25 October and cut power to large parts of Scotland and northern England, so plenty of people will be checking what they're owed. Here's how it works.
Who pays when the power goes off?
Your local electricity network operator pays, not your energy supplier. Network operators (sometimes called DNOs) own and run the cables and substations that bring electricity to your home. Whoever you pay your bill to doesn't come into it.
The payments come from Ofgem's Guaranteed Standards of Performance. These are fixed sums an operator has to pay if it misses set standards, such as getting your supply back on within a certain time. The amounts rise with inflation every April. For 2026/27, Ofgem raised them by 3.2%, the CPIH inflation figure for January 2026, rounded to the nearest £5. Operators had to start paying the new amounts from 1 April 2026.
Not sure who your network operator is? Look it up by postcode on the Energy Networks Association website. In a power cut, call 105. It's free and puts you through to your network operator for help and updates.
How much do you get for a normal power cut?
Outside declared storms, as of October 2026:
| Situation | What a household gets |
|---|---|
| Fewer than 5,000 properties affected | £100 after 12 hours, then £45 for each further 12 hours |
| 5,000 or more properties affected | £100 after 24 hours, then £45 for each further 12 hours, up to £400 in total |
Businesses get £195 as the first payment.
The clock starts when the operator knew your power was off. Operators pick up most big faults straight away. If it's just your street or your house, though, call 105 as soon as it happens so the timing is on record.
What changes if a storm caused the cut?
Different rules apply in severe weather, because operators get longer to reconnect everyone. Ofgem uses two storm categories. They're based on how many faults the storm causes on the network, not on Met Office warnings:
- Category 1: a storm causing 8 to 12 times the usual daily number of faults within 24 hours.
- Category 2: a storm causing more than 12 times the usual daily number of faults.
As of October 2026, the payments are:
| Storm category | First payment | Then | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 | £90 after 24 hours | £45 for every further 6 hours | £2,235 |
| Category 2 | £90 after 48 hours | £45 for every further 6 hours | £2,235 |
After the first payment, extra money builds up every six hours rather than every 12. That's why long storm outages can add up to a lot.
A storm can be classed differently in different regions. For Storm Boelo, SP Energy Networks has said customers in its Scottish area may get compensation under the Category 2 rules. Your operator's storm page will tell you which category applies where you live.
What about planned cuts and repeated cuts?
For planned work, your network operator must give you at least two days' notice, usually by letter. You can get £40 if it doesn't give that notice or cuts you off on a different day from the one it gave. You have to claim this yourself, within one month of the start of the cut.
For repeated cuts, you can get £100 if you have four or more separate cuts in one regulatory year (1 April to 31 March), each lasting at least three hours. You usually have to claim this one too, so keep a note of dates and times if your supply keeps dropping out.
Do you have to claim, and when will the money arrive?
For most unplanned cuts, you don't need to claim. Your network operator should contact you and pay the right amount itself. Two exceptions you have to claim yourself are the planned-work payment and the four-cuts payment.
On timing, as of October 2026:
- Normal-weather cuts: the payment should arrive within 10 working days.
- Storm cuts: give it about four weeks after your power came back before chasing.
If an automatic payment doesn't arrive, contact your network operator. A missed payment can mean an extra £40 on top. Don't leave it too long, because you only have a limited time to make a late claim.
The money might come by bank transfer or cheque. Sometimes it goes through your energy supplier instead, as credit on your account or on your prepayment meter. Check both places before deciding you haven't been paid.
Will you get money for spoiled food, a hotel or damaged appliances?
Guaranteed Standards payments are fixed sums for losing your supply. They don't pay back what you actually lost. After an ordinary cut, network operators don't usually pay for food that spoiled in your fridge or freezer.
Major storms can be different. Some operators offer extra help beyond the fixed payments. During Storm Boelo, SP Energy Networks said it would pay people back for alternative accommodation they had to arrange. Electricity North West set up welfare points with hot meals, warm spaces and phone charging. What's on offer varies by operator and by event, so check your operator's storm page and keep every receipt.
For spoiled food or damaged appliances, check your home contents insurance policy.
What if your gas goes off, or you live in Northern Ireland?
In a storm it's usually the electricity that fails. It can look like your gas has gone too, because most gas boilers need electricity to run. Genuine gas interruptions are dealt with by your gas network operator (shown as the "gas transporter"), and the compensation rules are different. If you smell gas, call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.
If you lost power because of a faulty meter or because your prepayment credit ran out, that's for your energy supplier, not the network operator.
Northern Ireland has its own rules and amounts. Report cuts to NIE Networks on 03457 643 643 rather than 105.
What if the operator refuses to pay or pays too little?
Start with your network operator's complaints process. If it turns down a payment, ask for the reason in writing. You can take it to the Energy Ombudsman if you get a final response you don't accept, or if eight weeks pass without the complaint being resolved. The ombudsman is free to use. The Citizens Advice consumer helpline (0808 223 1133) can also help you work out what you're owed.
When you contact the operator, have these ready:
- your address and postcode
- the date and time the power went off and came back
- any fault or incident reference from your 105 call
- texts, emails or screenshots of restoration updates
What to do next
- If you're in a cut now, call 105. If there's immediate danger, such as fallen cables, call 999 first.
- Write down when the power went off and when it came back.
- Look up your network operator by postcode and check its website for storm updates and which category applies to you.
- Work out roughly what you're owed using the tables above.
- Check your bank account, post and energy account (or prepayment meter) for the payment.
- If nothing arrives within 10 working days (normal cut) or about four weeks (storm), contact the operator.
- Claim planned-work (£40) or four-cuts (£100) payments yourself if they apply.
- Keep receipts for hotels or meals, and check your home insurance for food or appliance losses.
- Take any dispute through the operator's complaints process, then to the Energy Ombudsman.
This is general information, not financial advice.
Sources
- Ofgem: Check if you can get a payment for a power cut
- Ofgem: Adjustments to the Guaranteed Standards of Performance: 2026
- Ofgem: Guaranteed Standards of Performance payment update 2026 (letter to licensees)
- Ofgem: Help in a power cut
- Citizens Advice: Get compensation if you have a power cut
- SP Energy Networks: Storm Boelo Compensation
- Electricity North West: Storm Boelo