Power Cuts - new 105 emergency number

105 - a new emergency number if you experience a power cut

Message from SSE:

We do everything we can to keep your electricity supply on. That said, power cuts can sometimes happen.

Read through the information on this page to find out what to do if your electricity supply cuts out.

Check with your neighbours

Before you do anything else, it's worth speaking to your neighbours to see if their power is out.

If it's dark, check to see whether the street lights have gone off, too.

If your neighbours don't have power

If your neighbours don't have power or the street lights are off, there may be a power cut in your area.

If you have a power cut, call 105 to get up-to-date information. They should also be able to let you know when the power will be back on.

You can call 105 from most phones. If your phone doesn't support it, call your local emergency phone number

If your neighbours' power is still on

If your neighbours still have power or the street lights are still on, there could be an issue with your fuses or switches.

Check the fuses and trip switches in your home

You may find that your trip switches have tripped or your fuses have blown.

If so, you could be using a faulty appliance or there might be a fault with your wiring.

If the trip switch is on

If the trip switch is on, turn it off and on again. Sometimes a safety feature can activate, and this will reset it.

If that doesn't solve it, push the test button.

The switch will trip if electricity is coming into your home. This means the fault is either to do with your wiring or an appliance that isn't working as it should.

If the switch doesn't trip, there's no electricity coming into your home.

If the trip switch is off

If the trip switch is off, try to switch it back on again. If it then stays on but you still don't have power, check the main switch on the fuse box is on.

Or, if the trip switch trips again straight away, turn the fuse box off and turn the trip switch back on.

The trip switch should then stay on. If it doesn't, you've got a fault with your fuse box or the trip switch itself.

It may be that an appliance is making the switch trip. Try switching all your appliances off and putting them back on one at a time.

Faults with your appliances, fuse box or wiring

If you think there's a fault with your appliances, fuse box or wiring, get a qualified electrician to fix it. Don't try to repair it yourself.

If you need help finding an electrician, get in touch with our Home Services team on 0345 071 7952.

Page last reviewed: 30/11/2022

Contact the Team

Family Information Service

fis@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2

SEND Local Offer

localoffer@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2

Adult & Carers Support

CSAAdvice.Signposting@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3747 0118 937 3747
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