Built out of frustration.

The power kept going off. Each time it came back, the cut vanished from the operator’s live map, and with it any easy way to show how often it was happening.

The record exists, but it’s out of reach

Network operators record every power cut in detail, because Ofgem requires it, and report yearly totals. What they share with the public varies. Live maps show cuts while they are happening and drop them once the power is back. One operator publishes full records going back decades; others publish partial records, only to registered users, or nothing at all. Where details are published, they sit in technical data files that take real work to read.

None of it tells you, simply, how often your own street, village or estate loses power. People living with repeated cuts have little to point to except their own memory.

What PowerLogs does

PowerLogs checks the operators’ published data every five minutes and keeps every cut it sees, permanently, so anyone can look up their postcode and see what has happened. Sign up for alerts and it emails you as soon as your record suggests you may be able to claim, with the claim email ready to send.

Money you have to ask for

Households are entitled to a payment when they have four or more power cuts of three hours or more between April and March, each caused by a fault on the network. Cuts you were warned about in advance don’t count. The payment is currently £100, and Ofgem raises it with inflation each April.

Unlike the payment for a single long cut, it is not paid automatically: you have to know it exists, keep your own record and claim by the end of June. The job falls to the customer, and few people claim it.

Holding the networks to account

A permanent, public record turns a feeling, “the power is always going off here”, into evidence anyone can check. It shows which areas are let down most often, and it gives people what they need to ask their network operator for the money they are owed.

Our aim is simple: for compensation for repeated power cuts to be paid automatically, without a claim. The operators know when the power goes off and for how long. If an independent record can work out who qualifies, so can they. Every claim made, and every pattern of cuts made visible, adds weight to that case.

How PowerLogs works

• It reads the power cut data that network operators publish under open licences, every five minutes.
• A cut that lists your full postcode is shown as likely to have affected you. A cut recorded for your wider area is shown as possibly affecting you, and counted separately.
• Periods when an operator’s data could not be read are shown as missing, never as “no cuts”.
• Your network operator’s records decide any payment. PowerLogs helps you ask the right question.
• No account is needed. A claim address never leaves your browser.

Common questions

How much compensation can I get for a power cut?

If your power is off for 12 hours or more because of a fault, your network operator should pay £100 to a household (£195 to a business), plus £45 for each further 12 hours. This is normally paid automatically; if it isn’t, claim within three months. Separately, four or more power cuts of three hours or more in one year can mean a £100 payment that you have to claim.

What is the payment for repeated power cuts?

A household may qualify for £100 after four or more power cuts of three hours or more between 1 April and 31 March, each caused by a fault on the network. Planned cuts you were told about don’t count. Ofgem raises the amount with inflation each April.

Is compensation for repeated power cuts paid automatically?

No. You have to claim it from your network operator within three months of the end of the year, by 30 June. PowerLogs keeps the record for your postcode, emails you when you may be able to claim and writes the claim email for you.

What if a planned power cut came without enough notice?

Network operators must give at least two days’ notice of planned work. If they didn’t, you may be owed £40 (£80 for a business). Claim within one month.

How can I find out how many power cuts my postcode has had?

Enter your postcode on PowerLogs to see the power cuts recorded there, with dates, durations and any gaps in the record. Records begin when PowerLogs started keeping each operator’s data, or earlier where the operator publishes its history.

Who decides whether I’m owed compensation?

Your network operator. Its records decide any payment, so ask your operator to confirm. PowerLogs shows what was recorded and helps you ask the right question; it is not legal advice.

What should I do if my power is off now?

Call 105 for a power cut or damaged power lines anywhere in Great Britain. If you smell gas, call 0800 111 999.

Who runs PowerLogs

PowerLogs is built and run independently by Nathan, after one too many power cuts with nothing to show for them. It is not connected to any network operator, Ofgem or claims company, and it is free to use.

Questions, corrections or press enquiries: [email protected].