When you suddenly experience a power cut, the first thing you should do is remain calm. It might be a short in the circuit and could be switched on again in a few minutes.

Take these steps before you decide on a plan of action:

– If you are using a prepaid meter, check that you have not run out of credit.
– Check the street lights and your neighbour’s houses, if they are visible.
– Check your power box, as one of your appliances could have tripped the lights or electricity supply.

Contact the appropriate responsible institution

When you have established that you are without power due to a cause other than your own negligence, call 105 free of charge. The call handler will put you in direct contact with the right people in charge of your electricity supply. The electricity network in the UK is divided into regions, with each region having its own distribution company. You will be able to find out which distribution network operator is responsible for your location.

The UK’s electricity networks are resilient in protecting the vital services they provide to their communities. In the case of severe weather, you have an advantage that you are forewarned. You can make emergency preparations, including seeking out a generator rental company before the actual power outage.

Getting yourself organised

The most important step to take when you are unsure of the duration of the power outage or when you got a response that the issue might take time to resolve is to consider alternatives from a power generation specialist such as http://www.newburnpowerrental.com/. The advantage of owning a generator is that you are covered in any future event; in addition, a generator is an excellent appliance to own if you are a camper.

If you do not own or have a rental generator, you are in for a cold, dark and quiet time, with food going off in your fridge. The best advice is to avoid opening your fridge door to keep what is inside at its coldest temperature. Your freezer will take a couple of hours before it starts to defrost, so avoid opening it at all. If you own a fireplace, ensure you have plenty of wood to keep the cold at bay.