In September 2026, electricity network operators reported 7,433 unplanned power cuts, affecting 686,965 homes and businesses in total. That figure counts peak customers affected per incident, not unique people -- someone affected by two separate power cuts in the month is counted twice.
Which network had the most power cuts?
UK Power Networks reported the most unplanned power cuts in September, with 1,598. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks and National Grid Electricity Distribution followed, each reporting over 1,200.
- UK Power Networks -- 1,598
- Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks -- 1,406
- National Grid Electricity Distribution -- 1,205
- Northern Powergrid -- 980
- SP Energy Networks -- 677
- Electricity North West -- 476
See every network's own figures.
How long did a typical power cut last?
Across every operator, the typical power cut in September was restored within around 3 hours 21 minutes. That's the median, not the average -- a small number of much longer power cuts would otherwise pull a simple average well above what most people actually experienced.
The month's biggest power cuts
Five power cuts in September affected 5,000 or more homes and businesses at their peak:
- 34,047 customers -- UK Power Networks, Cambridge and nearby areas, 29 September, restored within an hour.
- 12,587 customers -- Northern Powergrid, Sheffield and nearby areas, 29-30 September.
- 9,877 customers -- Northern Powergrid, Sheffield and nearby areas, 29-30 September (a second, separate incident reported at the same time).
- 7,811 customers -- Electricity North West, Harraby South & Parklands, Carlisle, 25 September.
- 7,811 customers -- Electricity North West, Cathedral & Castle, Carlisle, 25 September.
Power cuts that ran 12 hours or more
Around 402 power cuts in September ran for 12 hours or longer with at least 25 homes and businesses still affected -- a rough guide to which incidents may meet Ofgem's Guaranteed Standards compensation thresholds. The exact criteria depend on how many customers were still affected at the 12-hour mark specifically, not just at the time the power cut started or ended. See how to make a compensation claim if you think a power cut you experienced may qualify.
A note on this month's figures
NIE Networks' own data for 18 September has been left out of the figures above. On that day, NIE's feed reported roughly 541 incidents in a single 10-minute window, several listing postcode sectors scattered across the entire country under one fault reference.
Check your own postcode
Check whether a power cut is currently affecting your postcode on the outages.uk homepage, or see live and recent power cuts across the UK.