Our regulator the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), has developed a set of Standards in conjunction with the electricity distribution network operators, industry representatives and customer groups. These service standards are known as Standards of Performance (GSoPs). At NGED we aim to deliver exceptional customer service, working to these standards that have been set out by Ofgem.
You can find full details of OFGEM's service standards, when they apply and what compensation payment you may be eligible for here:
You can read our statement on getting in touch during a power cut, details of our Priority Services Register, and the steps we take when visiting your property, all in one guide.
Receive payment if you have a lengthy power cut
You may be entitled to a payment if your electricity supply goes off. Whilst we cannot guarantee a constant supply of electricity, we will always get your power restored as quickly as we can. The Standards of Performance set out how quickly we must restore power following an interruption in supply. For example, if your electricity supply fails because of a problem on our network during normal weather conditions, we must restore power within 12 hours. In more extreme weather events or circumstances, the restoration time permitted under the Standards of Performance vary and may be up to 48 hours.
If we fail to meet these Standards of Performance, we are required to pay customers affected by this failure. The Standards of Performance specify exactly who is entitled to receive payments, in what circumstances, and how much the payments will be.
For more details see FAQs below:
Severe weather is not defined in relation to specific weather conditions such as wind speed. The Storm category is calculated on the number of incidents on the high voltage network in a 24 hour period during the Storm across each of our 4 regional networks. This recognises that overall our engineers were very busy carrying our repairs on the network.
Severe Weather Category 1 Storm
Category 1 is split between lightning events and non-lightning events. During lightning events, where the number of HV faults in a 24 hour period is at least 8 times the normal amount (a threshold set by Ofgem), NGED must restore the supplies within 24 hours, or we must make a guaranteed standard (GSOP) failure payment to the customer. During non-lightning events, if there are between 8-13 times the normal amount of HV faults within 24 hours, then we must restore supplies within 24 hours, or make a GSOP failure payment to the customer.
Payment is £85 for power cuts lasting 24 hours (from time of notification) and £40 for each 6 hour period thereafter.
Severe Weather Category 2 Storm
Where the number of HV faults in a 24 hour period exceeds 13 times the normal amount of HV faults, NGED has 48 hours to restore supplies. Customer guarantee payments will be made for power cuts lasting for a continuous period of over 48 hours from the time NGED was notified of the power cut, either by a telephone call to our emergency service, or an alert from automated equipment on the high voltage network. Please be aware that this timescale may be different to the time you were actually without power. The timescale starts from when we became aware your power went off, and excludes periods when the supply went off and came back on again.
Payment is £85 for power cuts lasting 48 hours (from time of notification) and £40 for each 6 hour period thereafter.
The Storm category is calculated on the number of incidents on the high voltage network in a 24 hour period during the Storm across each of our 4 regional networks. Although some areas may have experienced less severe weather, overall our engineers will still have been very busy carrying our repairs on the network.
If the number of high voltage incidents did not reach the Storm threshold for the NGED region in which you live, and you were without electricity for over 12 hours, you may be eligible for a customer guarantee payment. We will send you a payment automatically. There is no need to make a claim.
For a Category 1 Storm, the payment is £90 for power cuts lasting over 24 hours (from time of notification) and £45 for each 6 hour period thereafter, up to a maximum of £2235.
For a Category 2 Storm the payment is £90 for power cuts lasting over 48 hours (from time of notification) and £45 for each complete 6 hour period thereafter, up to a maximum of £2235.
Continuous period of power cut
Category 1 Storm Payment
Category 2 Storm Payment
Less than 24 hours
No payment
No payment
24 hours
£90
No payment
30 hours
£90 + £45 = £135
No payment
36 hours
£90 + (2 x £45) = £180
No payment
42 hours
£90 + (3 x £45) = £225
No payment
48 hours
£90 + (4 x £45) = £270
£90
54 hours
£90 + (5 x £45) = £315
£90 + £45 = £135
60 hours
£90 + (6 x £45) = £360
£90 + (2 x £45) = £180
66 hours
£90 + (7 x £45) = £405
£90 + (3 x £45) = £225
72 hours
£90 + (8 x £45) = £450
£90 + (4 x £45) = £270
80 hours
£90 + (9 x £45) = £495
£90 + (5 x £45) = £315
86 hours
£90 + (10 x £45) = £540
£90 + (6 x £45) = £360
92 hours
£90 + (11 x £45) = £585
£90 + (7 x £45) = £405
We aim to make payments within 10 working days. This may take longer during storm conditions due to the impact of the storm and the number of customers affected, in which case we will make the payment as soon as we can. This is because we need to assess all the incidents that occurred on our high voltage and low voltage network and identify all customers who are eligible for payment. We make payments automatically by cheque to all customers affected so there is no need to make a claim.
Yes there are limits set out in the Standards of Performance in some instances. Should we fail to restore your supply within the target timescales, we will automatically calculate the payment due, up to any applicable limit. For category 1 and 2 storms, this is £2000.
We raise cheques based on the customer information provided by the supplier registered to your property. If the name of the occupier has changed please let us know so that we can amend our records. You should also notify your supplier.
If a problem with NGED’s network caused your supply to be off over Category 2 Storm timescales, we will arrange a payment via your network operator.
You are not eligible for a customer guarantee payment if you are sub-metered and pay your landlord for your electricity.
Under the rules of the Standards of Performance, a customer guarantee payment will be made for power cuts lasting for a continuous period of over 24 hours depending on the category of the Storm. The outage period is measured from the time NGED became aware of the power cut, either by a telephone call to our emergency service, or an alert from automated equipment on the high voltage network. The outage period restarts if the supply comes back on and then goes off again. In addition, there are limits to the maximum payment amount set out in the Standards of Performance and our payment may reflect this.
If you still wish to dispute your eligibility for payment, or the amount you have received, please write to Complaints Team at National Grid Electricity Distribution, Pegasus Business Park, Derby, DE74 2TU or email nged.complaints@nationalgrid.co.uk. Please provide details of the times your supply went on and off. We aim to respond within 10 working days.
We cannot guarantee an uninterrupted supply of electricity, therefore, we are not liable for losses due to severe weather outages. According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), your fridge will keep food safe for up to four hours during a power outage, provided you keep the door closed as much as possible. The FSA also state that a full freezer will hold a safe temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it’s half full) if the door remains closed. To assist in maintaining a lower level temperature, we strongly recommend that the freezer door is kept closed at all times. Please note the age and efficiency of the appliance is a contributory factor.
We do not guarantee an uninterrupted supply of electricity. Therefore we are not liable for business losses due to severe weather outages. We respectfully request you consider approaching your Business Insurers.
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