If you have any concerns regarding the safety of your meter, the meter cables or any other electrical equipment leading into your business then you should call your supplier immediately
They will have an emergency number which should be listed on your bill under the title 'Supply Failure'. It is worth making a note of this number separately and keeping it within easy access
If you cannot find the number quickly you can ring the emergency number listed under Electricity in your local telephone directory
Is the meter faulty?
If, on the other hand, you believe that the meter is faulty, ie not recording correctly, then contact your electricity supplier. The supplier owns the meter and is responsible for correcting the problem unless you have appointed your own meter operator
All electrical wiring, appliances etc coming from the meter into your premises are your responsibility. It is your responsibility to contact a qualified electrician and pay for any work required
What to do in a power cut?
There are two types of power cuts (or outages as the industry refers), planned and unplanned
Planned power cuts are when maintenance and upgrading work is carried out by the local distributor. The distributor has a responsibility to advise those businesses to be affected in advance
Unplanned power cuts are often the result of bad weather, ie lightning strikes, storms and gales
Should you experience power loss to your business it is advisable to check with your neighbours to identify that it is a power cut rather than a problem with your premises. If your business operates at night, check to see if the streetlights are working. Contact the supply failure telephone number when you are certain
Restoring power to homes is the priority of the distribution company. Therefore, it is advisable to ensure that your business has adequate insurance to compensate for any loss (such as freezer goods) should your power be off for a long period of time. It is advisable to turn off, where practical, machinery before the power is restored. This can prevent damage from power surges
Compensation for loss
The distribution company does not have to compensate you for loss of income, loss of goods or damage to equipment caused by a power cut. However, there are occasions when they have to make payments to you for poor standards of performance. These are known as Guaranteed Standards payments and are set by the industry regulator
If your supply is not reconnected within 18 hours of your initial contact (under normal conditions) with the distribution company then you will be paid £100. You will also receive a further £25 for every 12 hour period thereafter
We advise that you visit your local distribution company's website where you will find a full list of Guaranteed Standards and payments