Electricity North West said on 1 January 2025 that around 2,500 properties in the North West were without power, the vast majority of them in Greater Manchester1. The distribution network operator said its teams were attending flooded electricity substations and damaged underground cables, and were working with local emergency responders to reach sites and make repairs as soon as it was safe1.
Richard Moulton, Incident Manager at Electricity North West, said flood defences are built into high risk sites, but that water entering equipment causes the power to cut off for safety reasons1. He said that in many cases the company would have to wait for flood water to recede before sites could be accessed and power restored safely1. The company said it is responsible for all cables up to the meter, and that in some cases a household may need a private qualified electrician to assess or repair a meter following a flood1. Photographs issued with the announcement were captioned Stockport, Portwood and Plant Bridge, Wigan1.
"There are currently around 2,500 properties without power in the North West, the vast majority of those are in Greater Manchester."
The company issued advice for the period during a flood and for afterwards1:
| Stage | Advice given by Electricity North West |
|---|---|
| During a flood | Switch off appliances and electrical equipment; turn off the power supply by the isolator switch but only if it is safe to do so; do not touch any electricity points when standing in water; check elderly or sick neighbours or relatives to make sure they are safe1 |
| After a flood | If the supply is still on or has been underwater and comes back on, contact a qualified electrician; if the meter point has been underwater or there is still no electricity, contact the company on 105 or report a power cut so a safety check can be carried out; if you can smell smoke or are in any doubt, contact a qualified electrician or call 1051 |
Electricity North West directed anyone needing additional support to its ExtraCare service at www.enwl.co.uk/ExtraCare or on 1051.
Why it matters for households
The loss of supply affects around 2,500 properties, concentrated in Greater Manchester, and the company has said restoration in some cases depends on flood water receding before engineers can reach equipment1. That means some households may remain without power after the immediate flooding has passed. A loss of mains electricity also affects gas central heating, which needs power to run, and fish tanks, which depend on pumps and filters; our guides to central heating during a power cut, looking after a fish tank without electricity and keeping warm without electricity set out how these systems behave. Households can report a loss of electricity by ringing 105, the number Electricity North West gives for safety checks and support1. Its advice on flooded electrics, including contacting a qualified electrician if the supply has been underwater, is set out in our guide to whether it is safe to turn the electricity back on. The company's request that people check elderly or sick neighbours or relatives is reported in its own words above1. Background on how storms and floods affect the network is in our guide to storms and the electricity network, with further material in the power cuts and flooding hubs.
What happens next
Electricity North West has not reported a timescale for restoring all supplies, saying only that access and repair depend on flood water receding1. It has asked customers whose meter point has been underwater, or who still have no electricity, to contact it on 105 so that a safety check can be carried out1.
Sources (1)
- Electricity engineers issue urgent flooding safety advice, news.enwl.co.uk
Storms and the Electricity Grid
Reporting a Power Cut
Turning Electricity Back On
