What to do if you've got no gas or electricity
If your electricity meter is smoking, sparking, or on fire: call 999 immediately.
If there is a gas leak or you think you can smell gas: call the Gas Emergency Line on 0800 111 999 as soon as possible, even if you aren't 100% sure, and then follow the steps on this checklist.
Octopus are only able to resolve gas or power outages when they are caused by a fault with your meter. In some cases you may need to organise for your own electrician or gas engineer to resolve your issue.
However, whenever you're unsure - please get in touch so we can help.
Jump ahead to a specific section:
Issues with electricity
Issues with gas
Issues with prepayment meters
If you are a prepayment customer check the electric and gas sections first; the prepayment section contains more specific advice.
Problems with your electricity supply
1. Check your fuse box
If parts of your home still have power, or your neighbours' power is still on, one of your fuses might have tripped. Have a look at your fuse box to see if any switches are pointing down, and try flicking them back up.
If the switch keeps tripping or the problem seems complicated, please contact us first. We can run through some free checks with you over the phone to help identify the issue before we recommend calling out a private electrician.
2. Call 105 to speak to your local electricity network operator
You can call this number for free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
They can check if there are any reported power cuts or planned maintenance in your area, and let you know when you will be back on supply.
3. Check your electricity meter
Fuses all on and no local power cuts? The problem might be with the electricity meter itself. Have a look at your meter screen and the lights on the front:
Red light flashing: This is completely normal and just means electricity is currently being used in the property.
Blank screen: A completely blank screen usually means there is a wider power cut or an issue with the main supply coming into the house, rather than a fault with the meter itself. Please double-check with 105.
Obvious error codes: If the screen is showing a clear fault code and you have no power, we may need to book an emergency appointment to exchange your meter and get you back on supply.
How to get in touch in an emergency:
By phone: Call us for free on 0808 164 1088. Our emergency lines are open 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday.
Out of hours? If you call outside of these hours, please leave a voicemail. Our team monitors voicemails constantly and will call you back as a priority.
By Email: Email emergency@octopus.energy. We monitor this inbox 24/7, 365 days a year. Include the word 'emergency' in your subject line or message so our system flags it immediately.
Social Media: Send us a direct message on Facebook or Twitter (X). Just make sure you include the word "emergency" so we pick it up as a priority.
Problems with your gas supply
Call the Gas Emergency Line on 0800 111 999 as soon as possible, even if you are not 100% sure.
1. Try turning on a gas hob
If your hob works but you are still having problems with heating and hot water, it is likely a problem with your boiler.
Check your boiler manual or our online troubleshooting guides. If you need a boiler repair, you can find an engineer using the Gas Safe Register.
2. Check your gas meter
Gas meters go to sleep to save power. Press the red button (or button A) to wake up the screen.
Screen shows 'b1', 'b2', or 'b3': This is a battery notification to let you know how much battery life is remaining. This is not an emergency. Please contact our standard support team to get this sorted.
Screen is completely blank after pressing a button: The internal battery might be completely flat.
Screen says 'OFF': You might have run out of credit or the meter's safety valve has closed.
Check your 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.
Have you tried turning it off and on again?
Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most reliable... 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.
Check your pilot light
If you don't see a flame your pilot light is out. If it has blown out, you can try relighting it. If you think you can smell gas, don’t attempt to relight the pilot light, contact the Gas Emergency Line on 0800 111 999.
If you can relight it, but it keeps blowing out you will need to call an engineer. You can find one using the gas safety register, or by calling 0800 408 5500.
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.
Do you have a water tank or cylinder?
Is the problem with the thermostat or timing on the tank or cylinder? Check it's showing the right settings, and if not have a look at the owners manual.
Do you need to reset your boiler?
Boilers require an 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 should contact a Gas Safe engineer.
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 warm (not boiling) water over it, or by putting a hot water bottle against the pipe.
Tried all that and still have no heating or hot water?
If your gas hob is not working and you have no gas flow, please contact us first. We can run through some free checks over the phone to see if it is a meter fault before you pay to call out a private gas engineer.
If you do need to call a gas engineer, you can find one using the gas safety register, or by calling 0800 408 5500.
If an engineer confirms that the problem is not with the boiler or other appliance, it’s probably an issue with your meter and we'll need to replace it.
How to get in touch in an emergency:
By phone: Call us for free on 0808 164 1088. Our emergency lines are open 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday.
Out of hours? If you call outside of these hours, please leave a voicemail. Our team monitors voicemails constantly and will call you back as a priority.
By Email: Email emergency@octopus.energy. We monitor this inbox 24/7, 365 days a year. Include the word 'emergency' in your subject line or message so our system flags it immediately.
Social Media: Send us a direct message on Facebook or Twitter (X). Just make sure you include the word "emergency" so we pick it up as a priority.
Problems with prepayment meters
Prepayment meters are designed to have periods where they shouldn't go off supply, also know as friendly and emergency credit hours.
These hours vary depending on whether you have a smart or a non-smart prepayment meter.
1. Check your credit balance
If your electricity or gas has cut out, check your meter balance. If you have under £5 of credit left on your meter, we class this as an emergency. Please get in touch with us immediately using the emergency contact details below.
2. Friendly and Emergency Credit
Prepayment meters are designed to have periods where they should not go off supply, known as friendly credit hours, and offer an emergency credit buffer. If your supply is off, try topping up the meter to see if this works.
3. Problems with keys or cards
If your top up is not working, your key or card might be faulty. Try giving the gold chip a wipe with a dry cloth. If you have lost your key or card and have gone off supply, get in touch with us right away.
Prepayment meter error codes
And how to fix some of the simple ones yourself.Electricity:
| Error Code | Meaning | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| A1/B1/D1 (Electricity) | Communication error | Re-insert key, if this doesn’t work please let us know |
| A3/B3/D3 (Electricity) | Mismatch between key and meter | Get in touch for a new key |
Gas:
| Error Code | Meaning | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Card not accepted/Card fail | Card not connecting to meter | Wipe the card with a dry cloth, make sure the meter slot is clear and try again. |
| Low battery | Battery is running out/meter fault | Get in touch and we'll arrange an appointment to replace your meter |
| Blank screen | Meter should be in 'sleep mode' to save battery | Press red button to wake up screen. If it stays completely blank, get in touch |
If in doubt, get in touch – we monitor emergencies 24/7.
Email emergency@octopus.energy
Good to know: include the word 'emergency' in your message and we'll pick it up as priority.
Please only include this phrase if you have a genuine emergency.
Or call our freephone line 0808 164 1088.
For general questions, our phone lines are open 9am to 5pm Monday - Thursday, and 9am - 4pm Friday.
Published on 11th December 2019 by:
John Szymik
CEO of Octopus Energy Services