Storms, downed power lines, or even load shedding during peak times can all lead to temporary loss of power to your home. So too can faults in your own installation and appliances. Either way, being left in the dark, especially in winter, is no fun. So, how can you prepare to keep yourself, your family, neighbours, and pets as safe as possible?
It helps to keep torches handy, with full batteries and spares to hand so you can always find your way around. Also, try to keep your mobile phone charged at all times. If you have a vehicle, you may also be able to charge your device while we restore power.
When the power fails indoors, the first thing to do is to have a look outdoors – is the whole building or street out, or is it just your home?
If it’s just you
If your smart meter still has a display, then there’s power coming into your property so yes, it’s just your home.
If one of the circuit breakers in your home has tripped, it may be that all you need to do is reset the tripped switch at your fuse board. As well as a main switch to isolate all power to your home, the fuse board will have different, smaller breaker switches for different circuits: lighting, electrical sockets, oven, etc. They should be clearly labelled.
A tripped switch will be in the down position and often simply pushing it back up will resolve the issue. (It’s a good idea to unplug devices on the circuit before you switch the power back on.) If the power t the circuit just trips out again, you likely have a faulty appliance or connection or a circuit overload. It’s time to call a qualified electrician.
Calling out an electrician needn’t be expensive if you have emergency assistance cover. We offer policies that cover every leaseholder in a block of flats as well as the communal areas. Everyone has access to the 24/7 emergency number to call for advice and, if necessary, a professional will be sent to carry out urgent repairs. The cost of the call-out is covered by the policy.
If this sounds like something your block would benefit from find out more HERE.
The whole street is out
It really is a power cut. Hopefully, you won’t be completely in the dark because you keep torches handy as we suggested above.
First, switch off appliances such as irons, ovens, electric fires, and fryers which could pose a hazard if the power comes back on. Don’t worry too much yet about fridges and freezers: they can also be switched off and if kept closed they can stay cold for several hours.
Likewise, fish and reptiles should manage for a few hours without power but you need to take some extra care of them such as going easy on the food as the filters won’t be working and disturbing the water to keep it oxygenated.
Make sure everyone knows to wrap up warm – it can get cold very quickly in winter!
Maybe leave one light on so you know when the power comes back! There’s no need to suffer longer than necessary.
Once you know your home and everyone in it is as safe as possible, do check on elderly or vulnerable neighbours. Do the same for them – switching off appliances and making sure they are warm enough and have eaten. If they rely on a stairlift, see if there’s a battery backup or manual handle if you need to help them down- or upstairs.
Tell your DNO – call 105
Don’t assume the electricity company that maintains your local network knows about your local power cut yet – call them just in case. You only need to remember one number: 105. That will put you through to your regional Distribution Network Operator (DNO), who can update you on the outage and how long it may last.
Just to remind you: the DNO is not the same as the supplier you have chosen and the one who sends you bills. The DNOs are the organisations that own and operate the network of towers and cables that bring electricity from the national transmission network to homes and businesses.
You can find their details on the Energy Networks Association postcode lookup tool. It’s worth letting your DNO know about any special vulnerabilities, such as special medical equipment in your home, in advance so they can put you on a Priority Register.
Alternatively, you can sign up for the Priority Services Register directly. This is a free UK-wide service that provides extra advice and support, including when there’s an interruption to your electricity, gas, or water supply.
Compensation and insurance
You might be entitled to compensation if the power cut was unplanned (i.e. not scheduled by the DNO with advance warning to you) and lasted 12 hours or more. In normal weather network operators have 24 hours to reconnect your power if more than 5,000 homes are affected by a single problem.
Some home contents policies may cover loss of food in freezers (up to the policy limit) due to failure in the power supply. You’ll need to check if your home contents policy covers this.
Keeping in touch
Do you have emergency contact numbers for keyholders for everyone in your block? It can save a lot of time in an emergency.
Disclaimer:
The opinions and views expressed in the above articles are those of the author only and are for guidance purposes only. The authors disclaim any liability for reliance upon those opinions and would encourage readers to rely upon more than one source before making a decision based on the information
The sole purpose of this article is to provide guidance on the issues covered. This article is not intended to give legal advice, and, accordingly, it should not be relied upon. It should not be regarded as a comprehensive statement of the law and/or market practice in this area. We make no claims as to the completeness or accuracy of the information contained herein or in the links which were live at the date of publication. You should not act upon (or should refrain from acting upon) information in this publication without first seeking specific legal and/or specialist advice. Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited accepts no liability for any inaccuracy, omission or mistake in this publication, nor will we be responsible for any loss which may be suffered as a result of any person relying on the information contained herein.
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