National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) has published the April 2026 edition of its Guaranteed Standards of Performance Customer Payment Scheme document, linked from its Standards of Performance page1. The same page also links to April 2026 editions of the Metered Connections Guaranteed Standards of Service and the Unmetered Connections Guaranteed Standards of Service1.
The standards are set by Ofgem, which NGED describes as "our regulator". The company states that Ofgem "has developed a set of Standards in conjunction with the electricity distribution network operators, industry representatives and customer groups"1. Under normal weather conditions, a failure on NGED's network must be restored within 12 hours; in more extreme weather the permitted restoration time "vary and may be up to 48 hours"1.
Storm categories are not defined by wind speed but by the number of high voltage faults in a 24 hour period across each of NGED's four regional networks1. For a Category 1 storm, payment is £90 for cuts lasting over 24 hours from the time of notification, plus £45 for each complete 6 hour period after that, capped at £2,235. Category 2 storms pay the same rates from 48 hours1. The page gives a worked table:
| Continuous power cut | Category 1 storm | Category 2 storm |
|---|---|---|
| 24 hours | £90 | No payment |
| 48 hours | £90 + (4 x £45) = £270 | £90 |
| 72 hours | £90 + (8 x £45) = £450 | £90 + (4 x £45) = £270 |
| 92 hours | £90 + (11 x £45) = £585 | £90 + (7 x £45) = £405 |
Separately, the page sets out payments for failures during severe weather where the storm threshold is not reached: £85 for cuts lasting 24 hours and £40 for each 6 hour period thereafter under Category 1, and £85 for 48 hours plus £40 per 6 hour period under Category 21. The page states a maximum of £2,000 for Category 1 and 2 storms in one place, while the storm payment section states a maximum of £2,2351.
"We make payments automatically by cheque to all customers affected so there is no need to make a claim."
Payments are targeted within 10 working days, though NGED says this "may take longer during storm conditions due to the impact of the storm and the number of customers affected"1. The outage period runs from when NGED became aware of the cut, by call or automated alert, and restarts if supply returns and fails again1. Households that are sub-metered and pay a landlord for electricity are not eligible for a customer guarantee payment1.
Why it matters for households
For a home, this scheme is the financial backstop when the network fails. It sets the point at which a long outage turns into a payment, and it fixes the amounts. Because payments are automatic and made by cheque, eligibility depends on NGED's own records of when it became aware of the fault, not on a householder's log of when the lights went out, and the two can differ1. The rules also draw a line at the meter: sub-metered households paying a landlord are excluded1. The scheme does not cover spoiled food or business losses; NGED states it is not liable for losses due to severe weather outages1. The wider framework sits within regulation and policy for the electricity distribution networks.
What happens next
The April 2026 documents are the current editions linked from the page1. Households disputing eligibility or amount can write to the Complaints Team at National Grid Electricity Distribution, Pegasus Business Park, Derby, DE74 2TU, or email nged.complaints@nationalgrid.co.uk, with NGED aiming to respond within 10 working days1.
Sources1 cited
- [National Grid - Standards of Performance
](https://customer.nationalgrid.co.uk/advice-and-guidance/standards-of-performance), customer.nationalgrid.co.uk