What to do in an emergency

If You Experience a Power Cut

If you experience a power cut, contact your electricity distribution company, which manages the service connecting your home to the national grid.

You can call the 24-hour electricity hotline on 105. This will automatically redirect you to your local distribution company free of charge. Alternatively, you can find your local distribution company online here.

If you notice sparks or smoke coming from your meter or related equipment, call 999 immediately and inform 105.

If you detect signs of arching, sparking, or a burning plastic smell, turn off your electrical appliances if it’s safe to do so. Always ensure you know where your consumer unit is located and how to turn off your electricity in case of an emergency.

What To Do If Your Electricity Isn’t Working

A loss of electricity doesn’t always indicate a fault with your meter. The issue may lie with an appliance in your home or your local distribution network.

1. Do your neighbours have power?
   If nearby homes are also without electricity, the issue lies with your Distribution Network Provider, who will work to restore power. If you’re unsure, call 105 to confirm or report the outage.
2. Check your consumer unit’s (fuse box) trip switches.
   • Ensure your isolator switch (if present) is also in the ON position.
   • Leave one light switch turned on so you can see if the power comes back on.
   • Turn off the main switch in the fuse box.
   • Follow up by turning off all the individual switches, one by one.
   • Turn the main switch back on.
   • Flip each of the smaller switches back on, again one by one. If any of the switches flips itself back “off”, it has “tripped”. That means that there’s a fault.
   • If you’re unsure or suspect a safety risk, contact a registered electrician for guidance.
3. Inspect for damage to the main switch.
   If your main switch is damaged (the fuses before the meter), call 105.
4. Inspect for damage on your meter.
   Check your meter for signs of damage, if this is the case and electricity is off supply, contact us on the number below.
5. Inspect for damage on your consumer unit (fuse box).
   If your own consumer unit is damaged, please contact a local electrician.

If the switches are in the ON position and there’s no local network issue, please contact us using the methods below.

Was Your Smart Meter in Pre-Payment Mode?

If you have a first-generation smart meter and were on a pre-payment tariff with a previous supplier, the meter might not have switched to credit mode during your switchover. If you suspect this is the case, please contact us using the details below.

How to Contact Us

• During Business Hours (Monday–Friday, 9 am–5 pm): Call our customer care team at 0800 224 224.
• Outside Business Hours: Call our out-of-hours team on 01460 297419. This number should only be used for emergencies. Please have the following information available:
  • Your account number
  • Contact details
  • A brief description of the issue

Non-Emergency Meter Faults

Some meter issues don’t pose an immediate risk or affect your energy supply.

If your supply is unaffected but something seems wrong with your meter, email us at enquiries@highlandelectricity.co.uk with a photo or video of the meter to help us diagnose the issue.

For non-emergency issues, we can arrange an appointment with our partner engineers usually within 15 working days. This includes:

• Not being able to obtain a read from your meter.
• Meter readings not increasing.
• Unusual noises from the meter.

We handle faults related to the meter itself. For issues with equipment before the meter, contact your distribution network via the number provided in this link. For wiring or appliance issues within your home, please consult a private electrician.