What to do if you've got no gas or electricity
If your meter is smoking, sparking or on fire, call 999 immediately and stay well away from your meter.
If you’re experiencing a power cut, please call 105.
If you smell gas, please call 0800 111 999.
Smell gas?
- Call the National Gas Emergency number, which is 0800 111 999.
- Open doors and windows to ventilate the room.
- Do not smoke, use a lighter or matches, or turn electrical switches on or off.
- Turn off the gas meter at the control handle unless the meter is located in a cellar.
Make sure your gas boiler and gas appliances are serviced annually. In rented properties, ask for a copy of the gas safety certificate to be sure.
No gas
If you have a gas hob, check if your hob is working:
a. If your hob isn’t working, check if your gas meter is switched on. There is a lever next to your gas meter that can be moved to cut off your gas supply. Horizontal is off, and vertical is on.
b. If your gas lever is in the vertical ‘on’ position, call the Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999
c. If your lever is in the off position, turn off all gas appliances and pilot lights, then rotate the valve handle into the ‘on’ position.
If your hob is working but you’re having problems with your heating or hot water, the problem could be with your boiler.
Checking problems with your boiler
Checking problems with your boiler
It’s worth finding out whether you can solve a boiler issue yourself before calling an engineer. Below is a checklist, designed to help you solve smaller problems or decide if you really do need to get an expert involved.
- Check the fuse box: If your boiler isn’t working but other gas and electrical appliances are, you should check your fuse box to make sure a switch hasn’t tripped and cut the power to your boiler.
- Is the pilot light on? Check whether your boiler’s pilot light is still on. If it has blown out, you can try relighting it by following your manufacturer’s instructions, if it keeps blowing out you will need to call an engineer. You can call a gas safety engineer on 0800 408 5500.
If you think you can smell gas, don’t attempt to relight the pilot light, contact the Gas Emergency Line on 0800 111 999. - Could it be a water pressure issue? Your boiler works best when the water pressure is between 1 and 1.5 on the bar. If the pressure’s not quite high enough, you can adjust it carefully using the filling loop.
- Is your boiler’s timer correct? Your boiler’s timer can be thrown off by power cuts or accidental knocks, so you should double check that yours is set correctly. If you’re unsure about how to reset your boiler’s timer, check your boiler manual.
- Do you have a water tank or cylinder? If you do, the problem might lie with the thermostat/programmer on the tank or cylinder. Check to make sure it’s displaying the right settings and if not, change them accordingly.
- Do you need to reset your boiler? Boilers require the occasional reset for all sorts of reasons, and not all of them are serious. Once you’ve located your reset button, try resetting it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If your reset button is inside the boiler’s casing, you’ll have to leave this to a Gas Safety engineer.
- Have you tried turning it off and on again? If you still don’t have hot water, try turning the boiler off at the mains for a few seconds, before turning it back on again.
- Could you have a frozen pipe? If it’s very cold outside, it’s not uncommon for a boiler’s condensate pipe to freeze. You can try to thaw it by pouring hot (but never boiling) water over it, or by a hot water bottle.
No electricity
If you lose power, it’s good to check whether it’s a problem in just one room or in the rest of your house. You should also check your fuse box in case any of the switches have tripped. Re-set them and power should return.
You may also want to check your meter. If there’s a lever and it has been moved into the off position, move the lever back to the ‘on’ position and power should return.
If neither of the above options apply, you may be experiencing a power cut – especially if your neighbours have also lost power. Call your local electricity network operator on 105. Tell them where you live, and they will tell you if there’s a problem in your area.
What to do in a power cut
- Switch off all electrical appliances that shouldn’t be left unattended, ready for when the power comes back on. This includes things like hobs and ovens, if you were in the middle of using them. Keep your fridge and freezer shut – the food will stay cold for at least a few hours.
- Leave on a light so you know when the power cut has been fixed.
- Wrap up. If it’s cold, wrap up warm and close internal doors to keep the heat in.
- Check to see if your neighbours are safe and if they have a power cut too. Call 105 to speak to your local electricity network operator and report the power cut. They should be able to tell you if the outage is due to any planned maintenance work, and give you an idea of when your power will be back on.
Problems with your meter
If you don’t have electricity but there isn’t a power cut in your area, there’s a chance the problem is with your meter. Contact us to make sure. If this is the case, we can book an emergency appointment to exchange your electricity meter.
My meter is in a box outside my property – it’s broken and my meter is exposed
Some energy meters are located outside your property, usually within a box. We’re not responsible for fixing this – replacements can be bought from some hardware shops. However, if you think the meter itself has been damaged or tampered with, please contact us.
Problems with your prepayment meter
How to reconnect your smart prepayment meter:
- Top up your account – you can add credit to your account via your online smart prepayment account, text message, or by calling us on 0345 034 2400. Remember, you will need to add enough credit to bring your balance above £0.
- Enter your unique transaction reference number (UTRN) – you only need to do this if your top up fails to apply to your meter. You’ll be told if it’s failed to apply on the payment confirmation screen. We’ll also send you a text. Your text will contain your UTRN. More on this below.
- Reactivate your energy supply – for safety reasons, you will need to manually activate your supply from your in-home display or smart meter(s). This step applies to everyone whose meter has automatically disconnected.
Get full instructions for reconnecting your smart prepayment meter.
Reconnecting a standard prepayment meter
- Double check you have credit on your meter.
- If you have credit on your meter, but your electricity or gas has cut out, please try to top up the meter again to see if this works.
- If you’ve lost your key or card and gone off supply as a result, get in contact with the subject line ‘Lost key / card’ and we’ll help
- I’ve topped up my prepayment meter but I’m still off supply – your meter will show how much credit or debit you have – you may need to top up again to clear any accrued debt or standing charge.
- If the top up doesn’t work, your key or card might be faulty. Take a note of any error codes. We’ve included a full list of prepayment error codes and what they might mean below.
Get more advice about using your prepayment meter.
Prepayment meter error codes
Error | What it means | What to do |
D1 | Your meter can’t read the information on your key or card, which means your credit has not been added. | Check you’ve inserted the key/card properly. If this doesn’t work, contact us because you may need a new key. |
D2 | There isn’t enough credit on your key/card or on the meter. | Check that you’ve added enough credit to clear any emergency credit you’ve used and that there is a minimum of £1 credit on the meter. |
Error B4 or D4 | Your key is programmed with the wrong meter serial number (MSN). This means you may be using an old key, or your meter has been changed. | Contact us because you may need a new meter. |
D6 | A duplicate key has been inserted into the meter. | Contact us because you may need a new key. |
Blank screen | Faulty meter | Contact us because you may need a new meter. |
Error | What it means | What to do |
Call Help | A fault with the meter has caused it to run out of gas or not register credit. | Contact us to arrange to have a new meter installed. |
Battery Fail | Using emergency credit too often can run down the meter battery. | Contact us to arrange to have a new meter installed. |
Battery low | Battery is running low. | Contact us to arrange to have a new meter installed. |
CARD FAIL 04, 28, 35, 38 | The key/card or meter slot may be dusty, or the card has been put in the wrong way around. | Wipe the key/card clean with a soft cloth – DO NOT USE CLEANING PRODUCTS. Check meter slot is free from dust/dirt. If this doesn’t work, contact us to order a new card. |
Card not accepted | The Gascard Numbers on the meter and card no longer match. | Contact us, as the meter may need replacing. |
Blank Screen | To save energy, the screen will go blank when not in use. | Press and hold button to re-activate the display before inserting your card. If this doesn’t work, contact us. |