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Power Failures

Asked by Lisa SmartLiberal DemocratDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled Answered 8 September 2025UIN 71926

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with Ofgem on holding electricity providers accountable for persistent power outages experienced by households.

Answered by Michael Shanks

Great Britain has one of the most reliable energy systems in the world and maintaining a secure electricity supply is a key priority for Government. The Department works closely with industry, regulators and other stakeholders to continually improve and maintain the resilience of the energy network.

To help protect customers and ensure quality and reliable electricity supply, Ofgem sets Quality-of-Service Guaranteed Standards that must be met by each electricity network company. Ofgem also sets annual targets for customer interruptions and customer minutes lost. Each year Distribution Network Operators must report their performance against these measures to Ofgem. Ofgem then assesses, if targets have been met and rewards or penalises the network operators appropriately.

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