Power cuts are stressful mainly because they feel urgent and you don't know what's causing them. Here's a 60-second checklist that turns panic into a plan.
Step 1 — Are your neighbours off too?
Look out the window. If the whole street is dark, this is a UKPN (UK Power Networks) supply issue, not something wrong with your house. Call 105 (the national powercut number) or check ukpowernetworks.co.uk. You can't fix it and neither can we.
Step 2 — If it's just you, check the consumer unit
Find your fuse board (usually in the hallway, kitchen, or under the stairs). Look for:
- The big main switch at one end — is it still up?
- Individual trip switches — is one sitting halfway down or in the "tripped" position?
- Any sign of scorching, melted plastic or a burning smell — if yes, stop and call us.
Step 3 — Try resetting the main switch once
Flick everything off, then flick the big main switch back up, then the individual trips one at a time. If it all holds, brilliant — something transient caused the trip and it's fine. If the main switch trips again straight away, don't keep resetting it. There's a genuine fault and the breaker is doing its job.
Step 4 — If only one circuit has tripped
Unplug everything on that circuit (kitchen appliances, kettle, hair tools, anything recently plugged in), then reset the single trip switch. If it holds, something you plugged in caused it — plug things back in one at a time until you find the culprit. A kettle with a failing element is the classic.
If you're not sure, or if anything looks off, call us. We'd rather you didn't hurt yourself trying to guess.
