Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I make a claim for my loss of supply?
Q. Can I claim for the loss of my freezer contents?
Q. Why have you turned my power off?
Q. Why do some of my neighbours have power and I don't?
Q. Why have you left a big hole in my garden or in my street?
Q. What is a trip switch and where can I find it?
Q. Why won't you send anyone out if my fault is internal?
Q. Why was I advised of a call out charge?
Q. I thought you were my supplier, so who are you?
Q. So if you're not my supplier why is your telephone number on my bill?
Q. Why do I get a recorded message when I call your number?
Q. Why don't you put information about power interruptions on your website?
Q. Surely if you put your cables underground they wouldn't get affected by the weather.
Q. Can I make a claim for my loss of supply?
A. We don’t pay compensation if your power is interrupted, since generally this is beyond our control. However under the Guaranteed Standards of Service we will make a payment if you are without power for over 18 hours continuously from the time you report the loss of supply to us.
This is £50 for domestic customers and £100 for commercial customers. There are exceptional circumstances where payments may not apply. They include events beyond our control that could affect how speedily we can deal with your problem, such as severe weather, industrial action, actions by third parties or not being able to gain access to properties.
We can’t guarantee a constant supply, but we will always restore your supply as quickly as possible.
Q. Can I claim for the loss of my freezer contents?
A. No, in most cases, freezer contents will not be affected by a power cut, but check the manufacturer's handbook to be sure. You may consider referring your claim to own home insurers, for which we will provide you a letter as confirmation of the power interruption.
Q. Why have you turned my power off?
A. We don't deliberately turn your power off without warning. If your power is interrupted without warning, this may be for a number of reasons. Someone may have caused damage to one of our cables, we may have had to isolate the supply for safety reasons such as a fire in the area, or a problem occurred on the distribution network that was beyond our control. If we are planning an interruption, for example, to carry out maintenance to the network in your area, we will send cards or letters to the customers who will be affected, giving them a minimum of two days notice, with dates and times.
Q. Why do some of my neighbours have power and I don't?
A. The electricity network is constructed in such a way that different properties, including different houses in the same street can be fed from different cables. It may be the interruption does not affect the cable feeding your neighbour.
Q. Why have you left a big hole in my garden or in my street?
A. Holes are necessary for a number of reasons: we could be installing new electricity supplies, repairing a fault or carrying out maintenance to our network. Occasionally it may look as though the hole has been abandoned, but we could be waiting for another company to repair some of their equipment so we can gain access to our cables, or the resin and glue we use to bond our cables together following a repair needs time to set. Either way when all work is complete we will reinstate the road or pavement to the standard it was when we arrived. Should you experience a problem of this nature, please call our Customer Relation Centre on 0845 0707172.
Q. What is a trip switch and where can I find it?
A. The trip switch in your home works as a safety device for your internal wiring. Faulty appliances or wiring will make the trip activate, and the trip will remain in the off position until the fault is fixed. The trip switch is located on your own consumer unit after the meter point. Your consumer unit is most likely to be in the garage, hallway, kitchen/utility room, under the stairs or in the toilet.
Q. Why won't you send anyone out if my fault is internal?
A. As a distribution company we are not insured to work on the customer's internal wiring. We are responsible for, and therefore only work on, the electricity network that ends at the meter and the company's main fuse; you will need to contact a qualified electrician of your choice for internal wiring work. You will find a list of these in your local telephone directory.
Q. Why was I advised of a call out charge?
A. If the fault is found to be internal there is a possibility of a call out charge, and you will be advised of this on your initial telephone call. We only work on our electricity network - looking after your internal wiring is your responsibility!
Q. I thought you were my supplier, so who are you?
A. We know that this can be quite confusing. Your supplier is the company you choose to buy your electricity from and who you pay your bills to - that's not us. We are the local electricity distribution company. We operate the electricity network in the North East, Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. We deal with power cuts, electricity cables and substations.
Q. So if you're not my supplier why is your telephone number on my bill?
A. Our number appears on your bill because in the event of a power cut or electricity emergency we want our number to be found easily.
Q. Why do I get a recorded message when I call your number?
A. If we are aware of the loss in supply we may activate our voice messaging system. This provides information to any customer calling from the affected area. The message is updated as soon as an estimated restoration time is known. Our system can identify the area you are phoning from (if you are calling from a land line, not a mobile phone) and will ensure you get the best information available. We know that people prefer to talk to one of our agents rather than get a recorded message and we do our best to make sure as many people as possible can get through. Be assured that if you get a recorded message, we know about the problem in your area and are working as hard as possible to put it right. Should you hear a message that does not relate to your area or if you have seen or heard anything that may assist our engineers you will be able to speak to a customer service advisor.
Q. Why don't you put information about power interruptions on your website?
A. We have to deal with a large number and variety of interruptions every day, ranging from single households to large area problems. Even in the case of major problems, different customers can be affected in different ways depending on whether they can be reconnected by switching or, if close to the fault, have to wait for a repair. This all needs interpretation and our call centre, which is in constant contact with the engineers on the spot, is best placed to provide accurate, customer-specific information. We keep under review whether to put interruption information on the website, and indeed we put our press briefs on our site. However, for most people, if their power is off they can't use their PC, so our priority is to ensure our call centre has access to accurate information.
Q. Surely if you put your cables underground they wouldn't get affected by the weather.
A. The first consideration is cost. It costs at least five times as much to put a cable underground as overhead. In surveys, customers have indicated that they would not be prepared to pay very much extra for the benefits of putting cables underground. Whilst underground cables are less prone to weather problems, they are susceptible to damage by other contractors, and this can lead to intermittent interruptions, which are difficult to locate and are very irritating to customers. We do however put cables underground where there is a strong environmental case to do so.
