To find out which Distribution Network Operator owns and operates the network you’re connected to, enter your postcode at Energy Networks Association website in the search box. Once you have established which operator to contact, visit your local network operator’s website to report a power cut and track updates when there’s a problem, alternately call 105 free, to be automatically directed to speak to somebody in person.
What should you do first, should you have a power cut?
- There are a few easy steps to check if you have a power cut or an internal electrical issue.
- Are you the only one effected – do you neighbours have power, are the streetlights working?
- Have your trip switches tripped to off?
- If you’ve found you’re trip switches have tripped – can they be reset to restore your power?
- If you have a Smart Meter, is your energy consumption display showing an error?
- If you have a traditional meter, is there a display working, or is the consumption disc spinning?
If you been through the list and still do not have any power to your property – call 105.
Here is some advice for what to do during a power cut
Keep warm – Have blankets and warm clothes to hand, these will help you stay comfortable and warm.
Heating – Household boilers may not work during a power cut; you may not have the ability to make hot water. It’s a good idea to try to stay in one room. Keep your windows and doors shut. Once the power is back on, you will need to check that your heating returns to normal.
Medication – If you have medication that needs to be stored within the fridge, speak to your healthcare provider or the NHS on ‘111’ for further advice. Keep icepacks on hand ready to store around medication if the power does go out.
Mobile Phones – You may be able to charge your mobile phone from a powerpack or via your car.
Electric Vehicles – If you need to charge your electric vehicle, remember you can do this at public chargers and not just at home, check on your cars navigation system where a nearby charge point may be.
Lighting – Keep a torch and replacement batteries secure in case you need them. In winter it can get dark very quickly. If you need to use candles, then please be careful. An open flame should always be used responsibly.
Community – Look out for elderly neighbours and ensure they are prepared for or safe in a possible power cut.
Remember never to put yourself in danger and to alert the emergency services if a dangerous situation arises.
Safety Advice around electricity infrastructure
Your life can be lost within seconds if you come into contact with electricity
Every year, people are killed or seriously injured when they come into contact with high voltage electricity. If you have our electricity equipment on your land or property, Aurora Utilities can work with you to provide safety advice and guidance to ensure that you, and anyone using or working on your land, are aware of the risks and stay safe.
The electricity network is designed to keep you safe.
Aurora Utilities is a UK registered Independent Distribution Network Operator, making sure the lights stay on for the homes and businesses we supply across the length of the country.
The safety of the public and our customers and staff will always be our top priority.
The underground cables, overhead lines and substations in ownership of Aurora are safe in normal conditions. They carry voltages from 230 volts up to 132,000 volts. Dangerous situations can occur when people get too close to, or make contact with, electrical equipment. This can cause serious injuries or even fatalities.
If you are building a permanent or temporary structure within proximity of power lines it’s a legal requirement you notify us in advance to ensure your building is kept at a safe distance from power lines, and to avoid the need to relocate our equipment in the future. This can be done by contacting us at info@aurora-utilities.co.uk.
You could be at risk when around underground or overhead cables when carrying out activities such as:
- Working under or close to overhead power lines
- Using construction equipment, farm machinery, high sided vehicles, or tipping activities
- Carrying long objects like scaffold poles or ladders
- Working at height like tree trimming or roofing
- Excavating, demolition
- Fishing or kite flying
If you have our equipment on your land, close to your home or you are putting people to work, consider what you can do to stay safe and keep others safe.
Stay safe near substations
Substations often found within a residential area. They supply home and business with electricity. Our substations can come in different sizes that depend on what, who and the type of customers they serve.
The only safe access to a substation is done by trained expert company employees or our contractor partners. If there is ever a time that you witness a substation door, its fence or access gate open, damaged or uncontrolled, please contact us on the telephone number displayed on the substation identification sign.
Substations are designed to always be safe to the public, if you remain outside the perimeter and do not enter them.
If you lose any anything belonging to you within a substation, do not go in to get it. If you contact Aurora Utilities, we will arrange a recovery your possession for you, safely.
Stay safe near underground cables
You should be aware that not all cables may be shown on the plans.
You should report any underground cable that you find as damaged, no matter how minor it may look. You should then stay well clear of the cable damage.
Remember that underground cables do not necessarily run in a straight line. Often underground cables may be having to be bent around underground unseen obstacles, equally underground cables can and do changes depth, again to navigate around obstacles.
Past site alterations can influence the position and location of cables that are plotted on a plan.
Never use stakes, pins or forks where known cables are present.
Stay Safe around Overhead power lines
Always assume Overhead power lines are live.
Before starting work you must always check up and around for overhead power lines.
Overhead power lines can look like telephone wires but never assume this is the case.
Overhead power lines are usually uninsulated and can carry low, high or ever extra high voltages.
Most overhead power lines are supported by poles, but they can be supported by metal structures as well.
Don’t light fires beneath overhead power lines. This can weaken the line due to heat and may cause the powerline to break and consequently fall to the ground.
Remember that trees, rods, tent poles, ropes and even water can all conduct electricity.
Electricity can and does broach gaps.
Electrical Danger Signs
Signs warning of electrical danger may not always be easy to see, or may have been removed, so even if you see no signs, electrical cables may still be nearby. Stay vigilant.
When you see signs warning of electrical danger it is highly likely there is electricity present. Remember, you don’t need to touch a high voltage cable to get an electric shock and even low voltage cables can be dangerous.
Planned and unplanned outages communication to customers
Planned interruptions
At Aurora, we are committed to providing our customers with not only a safe, but reliable electricity supply.
As a regulated business, it is incumbent on us to look to invest, upgrade and improve our electricity network. To do this vital work, from time to time we must carry out network maintenance, preventing any damage to substations, cable and overhead power lines.
For our engineers to carry out this work safely, we may have to turn off the power in the area, we could be repairing or replacing an old or damaged underground cable or upgrading supplies to offer a more resilient service.
If Aurora need to switch off the electricity to your home, we will always attempt to give as much notice as possible, we will aim to give you at least 48 hours’ notice in writing before we carry out the shutdown.
It is our aim that if during the planned interruption we experience any issues which could change the time your power comes back on, we would look to send out messages to let you know as soon as we become aware of the problem. Rest assured that this is not a common occurrence.
If you require further information on preparing for a planned interruption, you can contact Aurora at info@aurora-utilities.co.uk.
Unplanned Interruptions
While Auroras electricity network is very reliable and designed to be resilient, power cuts can happen for a variety of reasons. Unplanned power cuts are usually caused by something unforeseen, such as extreme weather conditions, third party damages or environmental circumstance beyond our control.
If you experience a power cut that you weren’t expecting you can report it by going online to Report a power cut . It is the quickest way to report a power cut and get updates. If you’re unable to report the power cut online, please call 105 or 0800 044 3092. It’s a free number and connects you to your local network operator in the UK who owns and maintains the power lines that connect to homes or businesses.
How we deal with power cuts
In the rare event of a power outage, our teams are on hand 24/7 to restore power as quickly and safely as possible, as well as providing the support and information you need.
Our advice for preparation for a power cut:
- Keep our phone numbers handy, call 105 or 0800 044 3092 (free to call from a landline or mobile phone)
- We urge customers who need extra support during a power cut to register for the Priority Services Register
- Keep a torch with spare batteries. We don’t recommend using candles but if you choose to, please take extra care
- Keep a mobile phone fully charged, and a portable power bank if you have one
- It’s especially important if you are unwell, less mobile or very young to keep warm. Dress warmly with layers, a hat and gloves and have blankets to hand, so you can keep warm until the power is back on. You can also reduce the heat loss by closing doors on unused rooms and closing your curtains.
During an unplanned interruption, we may be able to restore some high voltage network by remote control from our headquarters, however many other electrical assets may need to be visited to be assessed by our specialist engineers before we are able to restore and allow repair work to start.
If an unplanned power cut was caused by bad weather
We will pay you compensation if you’re entitled to it.
How much you can get depends on:
- how long you didn’t have power for
- if the storm was ‘category 1’ or ‘category 2’
A storm is given a category depending on what problems it caused. These are different to the storm categories used by the Met Office. if you had a power cut because of a category 1 storm, you’ll get £85 if the power was off for 24 hours. If it was a category 2 storm, you’ll get £85 if the power was off for 48 hours.
You’ll get £45 for every 6 extra hours you didn’t have power – up to a maximum of £2165.
If an unplanned power cut wasn’t caused by bad weather
How much you get depends on how many homes were affected.
If fewer than 5,000 homes were affected, you’ll get £95 if your power is off for 12 hours. You’ll get £45 for every 12 hours after that.
If more than 5,000 homes were affected, you’ll get £95 if the power is off for longer than 24 hours. You’ll get £45 for every 12 hours after that – up to a maximum of £390.
You can get an extra £95 if your power goes off more than 4 times in 1 financial year, for more than 3 hours each time. The financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March.
Complaints Handling Procedure (including escalation steps and timescales)
At Aurora utilities, we take customer complaints very seriously, if you are unhappy with the service we have provided please let us know so we can collect the information and learn from your valuable experience.
If you have a service complaint, please email
info@aurora-utilities.co.uk
Each complaint submitted will undergo a through and rigorous investigation
We have a meticulous complaint handling procedure with incremental steps to find the correct resolution for all parties concerned.
- Complaint receipt by customer service team – We will be required to capture the normal point of contact to contact you. At this stage we will do our best to resolve the matter, although we may need to follow the issue up later with more detailed information. At this point we will require a phone number, email address and contact address to that we can respond with an initial 10 working days of you contacting us.
- Escalate to the Head of Network Operations – If the problem is not able to be resolved at the initial point of contact, then the Head of Network Operations will be assigned the responsibility of investigating the complaint and responding within 5 working days. They will aim to resolve the problem at this stage. Where appropriate we will provide an apology and explanation of what went wrong including taking any remedial action where this is needed. Should we fail to respond within this time, we will provide you with a compensation payment in accordance with Ofgem’s Guaranteed Standards of Service. A full list of these standards is available on their website www.ofgem.gov.uk
- Escalate to Chief Operating Officer – If the customer is still not satisfied it will formally be reviewed by the Chief Operating Officer. At this point they will make a decision within 5 working days by letter or telephone. The outcome of which will be captured in the complaints database system.
- Energy Ombudsman – If AUL are satisfied that they have done everything they can to resolve your problem by working with you and you are still unhappy then you have a right to contact the Energy Ombudsman. They will ask for a full account of your dealings with AUL and will contact us to gain a full understanding of events. The is a free and independent resolution service who will make a final decision and inform you of the outcome. They are approved by the energy regulator Ofgem to independently handle disputes between energy companies and their customers, which includes domestic customers and micro businesses. Their service is free to consumers and is simple to use. Energy Supply Ombudsman PO Box 966 Warrington WA4 9DF 0330 440 1624 www.ombudsman-services.org