The text below is the transcript from the What to do in a Power Cut video. An audio-described version of the video is also available.
We’re SP Energy Networks and we are responsible for delivering a safe and reliable power supply to you 24 hours a day, every day of the year; if you live or work in Central & southern Scotland, Merseyside, Cheshire, north Shropshire or north Wales.
Thankfully power cuts are very rare, but no matter how much we protect, maintain and improve our network they do occasionally happen.
If your power does go off unexpectedly don’t worry, you can contact us any time of the day or night and we’ll do everything possible to restore your power as quickly as possible.
Before you get in touch with us however, it may be a good idea to carry out a few simple checks.
First of all, if you have a pre-payment meter check that it still has credit available, if not; try activating your emergency credit or top it up.
If you don’t have a pre-payment meter, check to see if your neighbours have power. If they do, the problem may be within your property alone.
Try checking your fuse box, also known as the trip switch; you’ll usually find this next to your electricity meter. These don’t all look the same but there’s generally a main switch with individual switches that control the power supply to your lighting, sockets and appliances.
Turn off the main switch first followed by the others one by one. Then turn the main switch back on followed by the others in turn. If one of the switches goes off again, it usually means there is a problem with that circuit.
It may be, for example, a faulty appliance which you will have to unplug from the electricity supply before resetting the trip switch once again.
After carrying out these checks, if there is still no power in your property you should unplug all your appliances where it is safe to do so, including your boiler, but leave one light on the on position so you know when your power has been restored.
If you have access to the internet, why not try our postcode lookup tool to search for any known faults in your area.
It’s quick and easy to use. Simply type your postcode in the box and click Go. If the fault has been reported we’ll provide you with information about the interruption.
We’re on twitter and Facebook, so you can get in touch or look for updates online.
Customer Service Representative “Good morning Energy Networks you’re speaking to Courtney how can I help you?”
Customer “Hi there yes my power seems to have gone off – I’ve check with the neighbours and I’ve checked the fuses and I’ve had no luck.”
Customer Service Representative “I’m sorry to hear that – can I have your postcode please?”
We’re open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
But remember that most modern phones rely on electricity to work so use an old handset or a mobile phone, if you have one.
When you call we’ll ask you for your name, postcode and house number. We’ll log your issue and send one of our engineers to locate the problem.
And if you tell us your mobile number, we’ll text you with updates during the power cut.
If the fault is easily identified our engineer may be able to repair the issue immediately.
More complex faults can take longer, but we promise to restore your power as soon as possible.
To help you prepare for a power cut. you can find more information on our website.
It’s a good idea to keep our emergency contact numbers handy in case your power does go off.