Power cut

cliffebimbo

Hope someone can help. During the windy weather on Monday evening, our electricity went off due to a power line going down. We've spent Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day with no power and despite numerous phone calls to UK Power Network, nobody seems to know anything or be able to help. I saw an engineer from UPN today, and he thought we had power (this has affected about 3 of my immediate neighbours) so our "job" had been closed. My question is, who do I contact for compensation? Would it be UK Power Networks or my electricity supplier? I know I can claim on my insurance for freezer contents, but can I claim for mobile phone calls to UPN etc?

JC_Derby

It's ukpn. They are responsible for restoring your power.

cliffebimbo

Thanks JC_Derby. By the way, our power is STILL off

JC_Derby

Hmm. Have you told ukpn that you are off supply? Have they given you an incident number?
You should be ringing one of these numbers

Landline users Mobile users*
London 0800 028 0247 01243 50 0247
East of England 0800 783 8838 01243 50 8838
South East 0800 783 8866 01243 50 8866


Doesn't pasts very well.

Have they given you an estimated restoration time? Has anyone even attended site?

JC_Derby

Just re read your post.
I would be asking ukpn for compensation for time off supply. Compensation or ex gratia payments for phone calls made.
If they make you go to insurers for contents of freezer I'd be asking for them to cover your excess.
I'd be asking the question why they hadn't checked that supplies were restored via site visit or phone call.

Ich_2

You will be entitled to the amounts of compensation detailed on the UKPN website for these circumstances.
http://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/internet/en/help-and-advice/documents/Electrical%20Guarantee%20Final.pdf

That is all you will be entitled to.
In the UK you are not guaranteed a continuous supply of electricity in any document legal or otherwise (though you may think you do, you don't)

You comment about an isolated group of 4 still being off and DNO staff thinking they are on, this is common where a larger fault masks one or more smaller faults. Always occurs during storms.



But also bear in mind that the regulator drives the DNOs to get larger blocks of supplies restored which means at the expense of small groups, that's the way it is
Now that may seem unfair, but on the principle that no one customer is more important than another, that is the only way it can be worked, 100 customers are more important that 4 and in fact a small group may deliberately be disconnected to get a larger group on!

Sadly, as well, resources (and staff moral/willingness to work extra hours) is very reduced as the only way the regulator can reduce YOUR bill is by hitting the DNOs which leads to staff reductions of up to 50%
So perhaps all those affected need to complain to the regulator and ask him to allow DNOs to increase charges to ensure enough staff are available to cover these events -are you going to do that, thought not!!

But folk if folk in the UK think they've got problems, try it in the US & Canada
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25528411

Cate1976

Probably too late for OP but hoping it'll help someone else:

When power goes off, put spare duvets/blankets/sleeping bags around freezer to help keep food frozen for longer.

Uncooked meat: Instead of throwing it out, cook it, then it can be refrozen safely.

Fruit & veg: Most can be refrozen, think raspberries is one that can't.

My parents had their power off in 2002, they couldn't get compensation from whoever supplied it as the power came back on a few hours before supplier policy allowed compensation. The power was off for 5/6 days. In recent storm, their power was off for about 8 hours, just long enough for Mum to start getting concerned about food in the freezer.

Obviously ice cream & some food had to be binned in 2002 but most of the contents were salvaged using above tips.