North West Power Cuts
SP Energy Networks and SP Electricity North West don't share live data we can use, so we can't show a count for North West. Their official power cut map s are linked below.
SP Electricity North West, known as Electricity North West until 2025, covers Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria, about two-thirds of residents, while SP Energy Networks' Manweb area covers Merseyside and Cheshire. The two Heysham nuclear stations (2,300 MW combined) are the largest listed power stations. When Storm Desmond flooded Lancaster's main substation on 5 December 2015, 61,000 properties lost power, and supplies were not back to normal until 11 December.
Who to contact in North West
The network operators responsible for faults in North West. Search your address on an official power cut map to confirm which one is yours.
| Network operator | Official power cut map | Report by phone | Total customers | Out here now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP Energy Networks | Open ↗ | 105 or 0800 092 9290 | ||
| SP Electricity North West | Open ↗ | 105 (option 1) |
If you see a fallen power line, stay at least 10 metres away and call 999.
North West on the United Kingdom map
Boundaries: Office for National Statistics, licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025.
Weather warnings
Met Office lists no active warnings for this area.
Source: Met Office
Largest places in North West
- Manchester
- Liverpool
- Wigan
- Bolton
- Stockport
- Salford
Nearby nations and regions
Reliability in North West
Average minutes without power and interruptions per customer, as published by the regulator or operator
| Network operator | Time without power | Interruptions | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| SP Energy Networks | 30 min | 0.30 | 2025 |
| SP Electricity North West | 27 min | 0.26 | 2025 |
Definitions vary by source, for example in how major storms are treated, so these figures aren't a ranking. See each operator's page for the exact scope.
Major power cuts affecting North West
Totals may cover every area affected, not only this one. Full accounts are on the United Kingdom page.
Storm Darragh
6 December 20242,300,000 customers affected
Source: Met Office, Storm Darragh, 6 to 7 December 2024 (case study PDF)
9 August 2019 power outage
9 August 20191,150,000 customers affected
Storm Arwen
26 November 20211,000,000 customers affected
Source: Ofgem, Final report on the review into the networks' response to Storm Arwen (June 2022)
Storm Eowyn
24 January 2025633,000 customers affected
Storm Desmond: Lancaster substation flood
5 December 201561,000 customers affected
North West power cut news
- Thousands in North West without power and cars wrecked in Storm BoeloBBC · Oct 25, 3:00 AM EDT
North West power cut FAQ
Who do I contact about a power cut in North West?
SP Energy Networks (105 or 0800 092 9290) and SP Electricity North West (105 (option 1)) repair the local network in North West, which includes Manchester, Liverpool and Wigan.
What was the biggest power cut in North West?
Storm Darragh (6 December 2024) affected about 2,300,000 customers across the affected areas.
How reliable is the power supply in North West?
SP Energy Networks reported 30 min of interruption per customer in 2025, and SP Electricity North West reported 27 min of interruption per customer in 2025. Scope differs between sources, so treat these as a guide and not a ranking.
Cite this page
You may reuse our derived data under CC BY 4.0 with attribution. Live data is credited to each network operator's open-data licence below. Weather warnings are © Crown copyright, Met Office.
PowerOutageTracker.com. "North West Power Cuts." Accessed 3 November 2026. https://poweroutagetracker.com/world/united-kingdom/north-west
Sources (6)
- ONS, Population estimates for the UK, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, mid-2025 (release of 1 October 2026; Scotland from NRS, Northern Ireland from NISRA)
- NESO, GIS Boundaries for GB DNO Licence Areas (approximate boundaries; NESO Open Data Licence), overlaid here on ONS local authority boundaries and population
- DESNZ, DUKES 2026 Table 5.11: power stations in the UK operational at end May 2026
- Royal Academy of Engineering, Living without electricity: one city's experience of coping with loss of power (2016)
- Iberdrola, SP Electricity North West unveils new name and visual identity
- Ofgem, RIIO-ED2 annual summary report 2024-25 supplementary data file (Dataset tab)