Businesses of all sizes can be impacted by a power outage that can be more than just inconvenient; they can be financially and reputationally debilitating. If an industry relies on refrigeration, critical IT infrastructure or essential systems, every minute of downtime has severe implications on any business.
How Long Do Power Outages Last for Businesses?
Asking how long a power outage lasts is comparable to asking how long a piece of string is. While we can assess the average power outage time per sector and per cause, we can’t offer a definitive answer as every case is unique.
Most short-term outages last between a few minutes to a few hours, but in more serious cases power cuts can stretch into days. In the UK, the average power cut lasts less than one hour, our table below shows a rough estimation of average power outage durations:
| Cause of Outage | Average Duration |
|---|---|
| Minor grid fault | 1 minute - 1 hour |
| Severe weather event | 2 - 72 hours |
| Infrastructure damages | 4 - 48 hours |
| Planned maintenance | 1 - 8 hours |
| Energy supply issues | Up to several days |
What Causes Power Outages?
Blackouts are caused by significant changes in frequency from the main grid, frequency is number of times p/second that an alternating current, or AC, moves back and forth. The UK’s AC travels through this cycle 50 times p/second – making our frequency 50 hertz (Hz).
There are several factors that lead to power outages or drastic changes in frequency:
Grid Failures: There’s often little warning with failures on the grid. Local grids could overload, or there could be equipment faults at substations.
Weather: Extremes in weather can damage substations or powerlines, effecting grid distribution and site access.
Infrastructure Damage: Small, yet significant accidents like roadworks hitting underground cables can cause major, unexpected damage and downtime.
Planned Maintenance: If the outage is planned, you will usually get advanced notice, but it is important to note that even planned maintenance can have serious impact.
Energy Supply Pressure: Rolling blackouts are becoming more common in Europe (and the rest of the world) in order to reduce pressure on national grids. These outages should be seen as a genuine risk to a business.
Is There a Power Outage Coming?
The government’s National Risk Register estimates that there’s a 1-5% chance of a national or regional grid failure in the next five years.
There are tools online to see maps of the UK and any planned or unplanned outages.
The Northern Powergrid has a map dedicated to the North of England’s outages, it includes sites which have planned or unplanned work, and any power restorations that have happened.
The National Grid has a similar map that shows the entirety of the UK, with each click of the location pins, you’re given more information about the type of outage and the post codes that are affected.
How Businesses Prepare for Power Outages
Saying that a power outage is difficult is an understatement, but there are ways you can reduce the impact they have on your business by ensuring you are prepared and ready for any situation.
Contingency plans give invaluable peace of mind; when you know your outage protocol, you are able to keep operations functioning as they should be. Investing in a robust strategy means that you’re able to access reliable backup for fundamental equipment and prevent downtime, mitigating any risks to your business and staff.
Ensuring business continuity is the backbone of contingency planning, and our service recognises that each business has unique requirements.
Our downloadable checklist highlights everything you need to prepare for any power outage situation.
How Do You Report a Power Outage?
In most cases you can report a power outage to 0800 6783 105, however in an emergency we recommend calling our 24/7 helpline on 0800 689 4803 and pressing option 4, especially in a case where critical infrastructure is at risk.
