Help during a power cut if you rely on medical equipment

The wider support system is real and free. Energy network operators operate a Priority Services Register, and for both planned and unplanned power cuts they must offer customers on it extra help, which can include battery packs so that you can still charge phones or medical equipment⁴. If electricity is crucial for any medical equipment you have, contact your network operator at any time and ask to be added⁵.

First steps when the power goes off and you rely on medical equipment

The advice from energy industry bodies is the same whatever the cause of the cut, whether that is storm damage to cables and equipment, an energy shortage, or a planned rota disconnection: if you depend on medical equipment that requires power and you do not already have a power cut plan, speak to your healthcare provider now¹. That conversation is what turns an emergency into a managed event. It should cover what the equipment needs, how long it can run without mains power, and what you will do at each stage of an outage.

Preparation also means checking that any backup equipment you have is in working order before you need it¹. Care and assisted living providers are advised to contact medical equipment suppliers and partner healthcare providers to prepare risk management plans for equipment losing power unexpectedly⁹. The same logic applies to an individual household: the moment of the power cut is the wrong time to discover that a backup battery is flat or a charger is missing.

When the power does go off, the practical sequence is straightforward. Check whether it is your property or the wider area, keep the door of the fridge and freezer closed, and call 105 to report the cut and get updates. If you are on the Priority Services Register, the operator knows you may need extra help and can prioritise contact with you. If your situation becomes medically urgent, the guidance is to treat that as a health emergency in the usual way, not as something the network operator can resolve.

Getting on your network operator's Priority Services Register

The Priority Services Register is a free service run by energy network operators to support customers during a power cut or other energy emergency¹⁰. Using medical equipment or aids that rely on electricity is an explicit eligibility reason¹¹. The Met Office's own seasonal advice tells householders to sign up, and adds that if electricity is crucial for any medical equipment you have, the advice is to contact your distribution network operator at any time, as they may be able to put you on their priority register for assistance during any power outage⁵.

The register is not just a list of names. For both planned and unplanned power cuts, network operators must offer customers on the register extra help, and Ofgem gives a concrete example: providing battery packs so that customers can still charge phones or medical equipment⁴. Support can also include adding a nominated contact who can deal with matters on your behalf during a cut¹². UK Power Networks describes the help available during a power cut, along with help signing up or updating your details, information and safety advice, and partner support¹³.

You can ask to join at any time, not only when a storm is forecast. Organisations that work with people who need extra support, including care providers, can help you get referred, and the service is free¹¹. Our page on how to join the Priority Services Register sets out the process, and who is eligible covers the full range of qualifying circumstances.

Calling 105: the free power cut line, open around the clock

105 is the dedicated, free power cut emergency number for England, Scotland and Wales¹⁴. It connects you to your local electricity network operator, whichever one that happens to be, so you do not need to know your operator's name or number in advance¹⁵. It is free to call from a mobile or a landline¹⁶.

The number exists precisely for the situation where the power is already off and you need to report it or get updates. Because it is free, it works even if you have no credit on a mobile phone. Write the number down as well as saving it: a written copy by the torch or in a drawer survives a flat phone battery, which matters if your charging options are limited during the cut.

In Northern Ireland the arrangement is different. The number to report a power cut there is 03457 643643, not 105². Our page on power cuts in Northern Ireland covers that system, including its own customer care register.

Who to call in your region: UK Power Networks

If you live in London, the South East or the East of England, your electricity network operator is UK Power Networks⁶. Calling 105 will still route you to them automatically, but you can also call UK Power Networks directly on 0800 31 63 105⁶. That number is free to call from a landline or a mobile, and the line is staffed 24 hours a day¹⁷.

It is worth being clear about who does what. The network operator owns the cables and restores the power; your electricity supplier is the company you pay your bills to. UK Power Networks notes that it can tell householders in its region who the current electricity supplier is for an address, but the supplier is not the organisation to call about a power cut¹⁸. If you are unsure who your network operator is, you can find it by postcode, or simply call 105 and be connected automatically¹⁹.

For non-urgent matters, UK Power Networks offers email routes, including for its domestic connection and supply move services, and states that the team will get back to you within 48 hours²⁰. Email is not the route for an active power cut: use the phone line, which is answered around the clock¹⁷.

Keeping food safe: hours for the fridge, longer for the freezer

The consistent rule across every source is to keep the doors closed. For a fridge, guidance ranges from up to 4 hours to four to six hours without power, as long as the doors stay shut⁷. One advice service cites Food Standards Agency guidance that a fridge will keep food safe for up to four hours during a power outage, provided the door is kept closed as much as possible²¹.

For freezers, the figures differ between sources and it is worth knowing the spread. Network operators in England and Northern Ireland advise that food should keep for between 15 and 24 hours in the freezer if you can avoid opening it⁸. Other guidance says freezers stay cold for 24 to 48 hours²², and one advice service states food will remain frozen for 48 hours in the freezer as long as the doors are kept closed¹⁶. A maker of backup power equipment gives about 24 hours for a half-full freezer²³. The differences reflect freezer size, how full it is, and how well sealed it remains; a full freezer holds its cold longer than a half-empty one.

For a household relying on medical equipment, food safety is the secondary concern, but it is the one people often worry about mid-cut. The practical answer is that a closed fridge buys you hours and a closed freezer buys you the better part of a day or more, which frees you to deal with the medical priority first. Our page on how long food lasts in a fridge or freezer during a power cut goes into this in more detail.

What this means for your household's energy independence

A home that depends on mains electricity for medical equipment is, by definition, not energy independent. The Priority Services Register and the 105 service reduce the danger of that dependence, but they do not remove it: the register obliges the network operator to offer extra help, including battery packs for charging medical equipment⁴, yet the grid, the network operator and the phone system all remain points of reliance. If the mobile network is down alongside the power, even 105 needs a working landline or a charged phone.

The honest position is that these services are a safety net, not a substitute for a plan. The healthcare provider conversation, the working backup equipment and the written emergency plan are what a household controls itself¹. Beyond that, some households look at portable power stations or home UPS systems to bridge the gap, and our pillar page on backup power for UK homes sets out the options. Whichever route a household takes, the free support described here, the register, 105 and the regional emergency numbers, is the foundation it should sit on.