Frequently asked questions

The Electricity North West distribution network serves an area broadly covering the north west of England, including Lancashire, Cumbria and parts of Cheshire, Derbyshire and North Yorkshire. Our telephone number is 0800 195 4141.

If you are based outside of these areas it is likely that you are served by a different distribution company. You can find more information on the distribution companies serving other regions from the Energy Networks Association website.

Also your distribution company should be listed in your local telephone directory.

You need to contact your supplier. The number is found on your electricity bill.

You need to ring MPAS (Metering Point Administration Service) 0870 751 0093

You need to contact your supplier. The number is found on your electricity bill.

You need to contact your supplier. The number is found on your electricity bill.

You need to contact your supplier. The number is found on your electricity bill.

This can be quite confusing, so we’ll try to clear this up.

A supplier

This is the company you buy your electricity from and who send you your bill. You have the choice to switch to whichever supplier you feel offers you the best deal as a customer.

Your supplier buys electricity from the Generating Companies who produce electricity and use the National Grid and Electricity North West cables and equipment to deliver the electricity to your property. You pay your supplier for all of these services and they use an element of this to pay National Grid and Electricity North West Limited for using our equipment.

A distributor

A distributor owns and is responsible for looking after the electrical cables, substations, and other equipment within a set geographical area. This is known as a distribution network. In the case of Electricity North West, we own the distribution network in Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cumbria and the surrounding areas.

Firstly, you need to establish whether the power-cut is due to an internal fault, or a distribution problem [which is our responsibility]

Step 1: check your trip switches on your consumer unit.

Turn the main trip switch into the off position, followed by the smaller trip switches. Now turn the main switch back on, followed by the smaller ones. If the power does not come back on, refer to Step 2

Step 2: Identify what type of electricity meter you have, and follow the instructions below

I have a billing meter (You pay a monthly; quarterly, or annual bill)

If you have a billing meter [non pre-payment meter] and you have checked your trip switches but still have no supply, this sounds like a problem that we will need to be made aware of.

Please contact us on 0800 195 4141

I have a pre-payment meter (Topped up using a card/key]

I have a display on my meter...

If there is any type of display on the meter, this means there is supply coming into your property and it may be a fault with the actual meter. You will need to contact your electricity supplier [Powergen, British Gas, etc] as they are responsible for dealing with meter faults

I have no display on my meter...

If there is no display on the meter, and you have checked your trip switches but still have no supply, this sounds like a problem that we will need to be made aware of. Please contact us on 0800 195 4141

An electrical cable has 3 different parts, called phases, which supply electricity to homes and business'

Most domestic properties will be connected to just one of these phases, and their neighbour would be connected to the next phase in the cable. Commonly, every third property is connected to the same phase.

During a localised power cut it is common for just one of these phases to be affected, so your neighbours would have supply but you would not [and vice versa]

If you believe you are part of one of these faults, please contact us on: 0800 195 4141

During large power cuts, called high voltage faults, it is highly likely that entire streets will be off supply, as all the phases in the cable will be affected.

If you believe you are part of one of these faults, please contact us on: 0800 195 4141

We don't turn customers' supplies off without advanced warning.

If you have lost supply it will more than likely be because of an electrical fault. For instance, a contactor working in the area may have dug down and damaged one of our underground cables; a bird may have flown into one of our overhead lines causing disruption to supply, or in emergency situations we may have had to isolate supplies due to a fire in the area.

There are a number of things you can do to make life a little easier during a power cut.

Turn off and unplug any appliances that could cause a fire when the supply is restored

Were you using the hair straighteners or the cooker when the power supply went off? Make sure you turn off and unplug any appliances that could cause fire damage. You may forget they were on when the power comes back on!

Turn off and unplug any equipment you are not using

All modern appliances should be able to withstand a power cut. However, you may want to turn off and unplug any sensitive equipment such as computers and other appliances you would not want to get damaged.

Advice on Frozen Food

Distributors such as us will not reimburse for any loss of Frozen Food. However, there are a number of steps you can take to help secure the contents of your freezer.

Keep your freezer door shut! It may be tempting to keep checking the contents of your freezer, but this is not advisable as it will only speed up the process of thawing out. It varies depending on the model and make, but most Freezer contents will stay frozen for up to 12 hours. Consider putting a blanket over the freezer [if possible] to maximise the loss of temperature.

Any loss of frozen food will have to be claimed via your home contents insurance [if valid.] We may be able to provide an insurance letter as proof of the fault if required.

We don't pay compensation if your power is interrupted, since it is not possible to guarantee a constant supply of electricity. This includes reimbursement for the loss of frozen foods.

However, under the Guaranteed Standards of Service you may be entitled to a payment if you are part of an area fault, and without power for over 18 hours continuously from the time you report the loss of supply to us.

There are exceptional circumstances, such as storms and other emergency situations, where payments may not apply. They include events such as severe weather, or not being able to gain access to a property. All exceptional circumstances are agreed with the regulator OFGEM before being authorised.

General Advice on preparing for, and dealing with power cuts

The following may assist you in preparing for a power cut in the future.

Keep an ordinary analogue telephone spare. Many modern digital and cordless phones won't work in a power cut as they rely on electricity. Older style phones should not be affected.

Have a battery; solar powered or wind-up torch available. Due to the safety issues it's not advised to use candles or paraffin heaters during a power cut.

Have a battery; solar powered or wind-up radio available. Your local radio station may often provide information on the status of your power cut. This is especially true during major power cuts due to severe weather conditions.

Protect sensitive electrical equipment with a surge protector or UPS device. These devices can protect sensitive equipment such as computers; faxes and other appliances in the home. They can commonly be found in your local electrical / hardware supplier

Consider a battery back-up for your stair lift. Many stair lifts do have a battery back-up installed, to accommodate power loss. If your stair lift does not, it may be possible to get one fitted. Contact the stair lift manufacturer for details.

Ensure you make provisions for medical emergencies. If you or a member of your family have a serious health problem, it is advisable to make plans in the event of a power cut. This includes having your emergency telephone numbers at hand, and considering a battery back-up for any essential medical equipment.

If you are suffering from serious health problems, contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647. For medical emergencies please contact your local hospital. (We can only advise you on electrical faults and supply issues)

Consumer Unit / Trip Switch problems: when you purchase your property then you are also purchasing the internal electrical equipment.  If you experience any problems with such as the trip switch activating, this means there is a problem inside your house, which will require a visit from a private electrician [or council electrician if it is a housing association property]

Electric Meter problems: any problems to do with the electricity meter, such as vandalism, or pre-payment issues must be dealt with by your electrical supplier [the company who you are registered with, or pay your bill to]

Cut-Out Device faults, main fuse failure, and area faults: Providing you have performed all the required checks in [Q, I have a power cut, what do I do?] then we will attend your property in cases of a single no supply.  Area faults will require a visit to our local substation / equipment, and not your property.

If there are any problems with the cut-out device [located below your meter] such as arcing or sparking, a smell of burning, or a general safety concern about our equipment, then we will attend.

If you have any safety concerns please contact us on: 0800 195 4141

No, you will need to contact a private or council electrician.

Distribution companies like Electricity North West are not insured to work on a customer's internal wiring; or consumer unit, or problems arising from any internal equipment.

We are responsible for looking after and maintaining the electricity network which ends at our main fuse in your property [located below the electrical meter]

If you live in the Lancashire, Manchester and Peak areas telephone 0161 919 9419

If you live in the Kendal area telephone 01539 796055

If you live in the Carlisle area telephone 01228 616424

If you live in the Workington area telephone 01900 706711

Please call Electricity North West Connections on 0800 048 1820 (Option 2)

Please call Electricity North West Connections on 0800 048 1820 (Option 2)

Please call Electricity North West Connections on 0800 048 1820 (Option 2)

Please call Electricity North West general enquiries on 0800 048 1820 (Option 4)