Power cuts and utility shortages

Outages to electricity, water, gas, phone, or internet can happen for many reasons, such as bad weather, accidents, or technical failures. Most are short-lived, but longer disruptions can be distressing. While anyone can be affected, some people face higher risks, including:

• people who rely on electricity or water for medical equipment
• people who depend on their landline for phone calls
• older adults
• babies and young children
• people with long-term health conditions

Scottish and Southern Energy provide a live power outages map on their website. You can also download their Power Track app (Apple App store or Google Play Store) for your smartphone.

If you experience a power cut, you can call 105, a free national number that connects you to your local power supplier.

Before a power cut or outage

You can prepare by taking simple steps:

• Know who provides your electricity, water, gas, phone, and internet and keep their contact details handy
• Contact your suppliers to check if you are eligible for the Priority Services Register
• Make a list of emergency contacts, such as family, friends, your local council, and your GP
• Keep backup power sources, such as a battery-powered or wind-up torch and radio
• Store essentials like bottled water, canned food, and basic medical supplies
• Keep your phone charged and consider a portable charger pack
• Prepare a grab bag with clothing, medicines, and essentials in case you need to leave home quickly

During a power cut or outage

If a power cut happens:

• report the outage to your service providers immediately
• use a battery-powered or wind-up radio, or your mobile phone, for updates on when power will be restored
• conserve your phone battery – only use it when necessary
• use torches or battery-powered lights instead of candles to reduce fire risk
• follow safety instructions from your service providers or local authorities

After a power cut or outage

When services start to return:

• check with your service providers for updates on full restoration
• make sure any repairs or inspections are carried out by qualified professionals
• restock any supplies you used
• report any damage or problems caused by the outage or emergency

Stay prepared and informed

See how you can build personal resilience before an emergency, including creating a grab bag and knowing who to contact, on our preparing yourself and others for an emergency page.

Remember, if you need urgent support, help is always available. Call 999 in an emergency or 101 for non-urgent situations.

For trusted updates and local information during an emergency, visit our staying informed in an emergency page.