Utilities failure

Sudden and prolonged disruption to your electricity, gas or water supply can cause risks to your health and personal safety.

• Power outages
• Gas supply failure
• Water supply failure

Power outages

You can call the National Power Cut Line on 105 to report or get information about power cuts in your local area. 105 is a free service, available to people in England, Scotland and Wales.

You can also call this number if you spot damage to electricity power lines and substations that could put you or someone else in danger. If there is a serious immediate risk, you should telephone the emergency services on 999.

UKPN are the electricity distributor for the London, South East and East of England Areas. The UKPN website lists lots of practical advice in case of a power cut, including specific guides for both customers and businesses.

If you are eligible, you can register on their Priority Services Register to ensure you will receive extra advice and support if you experience a power cut. It is also possible to register for this service on behalf of someone else.

UKPN's website also provides a power cut live tracker as well as an option to report a power outage in your area.

In the situation of large-scale power outages, local Radio and BBC Radio 1-4 (BBC Radio 4 (92-95 FM, 103-105 FM. LW 198 Long Wave) are the most likely to transmit.  

Gas supply failure

In the event of a gas leak or emergency, you can call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

You will be asked a series of questions designed to build a picture of the situation. From these details, they will identify the right gas safety advice for you, such as:

• Opening doors and windows
• Turning the gas off at the meter unless the meter is located in the cellar/basement
• Avoiding the use of any naked flames or electrical switches

Once all the information has been gathered, it will be sent to an engineer for action.

For further information on gas safety view National Grid's Safety Advice and the National Gas Safety Engineer Register.

Water supply failure

Thames Water are responsible for your water supply. In the event of water supply failure, they advise you to:

• Try your cold kitchen tap - The main water supply normally enters your home in the cold kitchen or utility room tap. If water comes out of this tap but not elsewhere (such as your shower or bathroom tap), the problem is with your internal plumbing
• Check your stop valves are open - Your inside stop valve needs to be fully open. It is usually located under the kitchen sink, in the airing cupboard or under the floorboards by the front door. If the valve is closed, turn it anti-clockwise to ensure that it is fully open
• Check for frozen pipes - The cold weather can freeze your pipes, making them more likely to expand and burst. Check visible pipes for damage
• Check with your neighbours - If possible, check if your immediate neighbours have the same problem. If there is no issue with their supply, the problem is with your internal plumbing

If these steps do not help, call Thames Water's Supply Issue number on 0800 316 9800.

Thames Water also provides additional information on:

• No running water or low pressure advice
• Reporting a leak and advice on leaks at your property