National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) has confirmed that Storm Darragh caused widespread power cuts across its licence areas between 6 and 13 December 2024, and has written to affected customers about Guaranteed Standards of Performance (GSOP) payments and, in some cases, an additional one-off goodwill payment1.
The network operator said wind speeds of up to 96mph caused considerable damage to its electricity network, describing it as the worst storm its regions have seen in decades1. It said thousands of engineers were in the field with additional resources drafted in, but that conditions were sometimes too dangerous for teams to work, or access to power lines was limited by flooding or fallen trees1.
Storm thresholds were exceeded in different areas at different levels, which changes how quickly a network operator must restore supply before a payment is due1.
| Area | Storm category | Threshold exceeded | GSOP applies if supply not restored within |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West, South Wales, West Midlands | Category 2 | More than 13 times the average number of high voltage faults within 24 hours | 48 hours from when NGED first becomes aware of the power cut |
| East Midlands | Category 1 | More than 8 times the average number of high voltage faults within 24 hours | 24 hours from when NGED first becomes aware of the power cut |
NGED said payments have been made automatically where one was due, and that it measures the outage period from the moment it is notified of a loss of supply, either by an automated alert from its equipment or by a customer reporting a power cut1. One letter states that a property was without power for over 48 hours and that the household is eligible for a payment under Ofgem's Guaranteed Standards of Performance scheme for a category 2 storm, with a cheque sent to the property made payable to the name provided by the energy supplier3.
A separate letter, sent to a customer whose records show the correct payment was made under Guaranteed Standards, offers an extra payment1:
"On this occasion, whilst our records show the correct payment has been made under Guaranteed Standards, we would like to offer a one-off goodwill payment to acknowledge your situation."
A further version of the letter, for a customer whose outage was restored within the required timescales, offers the same goodwill payment on the same basis2. In both cases the payment amount is shown on the text message that carried the link, and NGED says its accounts department has been instructed to send a cheque to the postal address held1. NGED also warns that it will never email asking for bank details or payment1.
The amounts of the GSOP payments and of the goodwill payments are not stated in the published letters, and have not been reported1.
Why it matters for households
A storm category determines when a guaranteed payment is triggered, so two households cut off for the same length of time can be treated differently depending on which NGED area they live in. In the South West, South Wales and West Midlands the clock runs to 48 hours; in the East Midlands it runs to 241. The clock starts when the operator is notified, not when the lights first go out, which is why reporting a cut matters for the record1.
For a home, the practical effect of a multi-day outage is that mains power cannot be assumed for heating controls, refrigeration, broadband, phone charging or medical equipment. The power cut compensation guaranteed standards set out how eligibility and payment amounts work, and the Priority Services Register is the route by which households with medical or access needs are flagged to their network operator in advance. Households weighing stored power for outages can compare a home battery against a portable power station, and sizing depends on what needs to keep running and for how long.
NGED's own account covers the former Western Power Distribution areas it now operates, which include the South West, South Wales, the West Midlands and the East Midlands.
What happens next
Cheques for eligible GSOP payments and for the goodwill offers are being sent by post to the address held on record, made payable to the name provided by the energy supplier1. NGED has not published a date by which all payments will have arrived, and no closing date for the goodwill offer appears in the letters1.
Sources3 cited
- [National Grid - Additional goodwill offer for Storm Darragh GSOP payment
](https://customer.nationalgrid.co.uk/gsop-3), customer.nationalgrid.co.uk
- [National Grid - Goodwill offer payment for Storm Darragh
](https://customer.nationalgrid.co.uk/gsop-4), customer.nationalgrid.co.uk
- [National Grid - Eligible letter for Storm Darragh GSOP payment
](https://customer.nationalgrid.co.uk/gsop-2), customer.nationalgrid.co.uk