Neutral fault affects around 500 homes in Grimsby

A neutral fault on Northern Powergrid's network at 02:40 on 22 March 2023 affected around 500 homes across 20 streets in Grimsby, the network operator has said. The fault caused irregular voltages in customer homes, with up to 415 Volts rather than the typical 240 Volts supplied to power outlets, damaging internal electrics and appliances¹.

All customers were reconnected to the network within the day, but in some cases repairs are required inside customers' homes. Northern Powergrid said it remained on site providing support and was working to repair and replace damaged appliances¹.

Andy Bilclough, Northern Powergrid's Operations Director, said teams were on site quickly and were working with the operator's partner GES to repair or replace what had been damaged. For customers whose boilers were affected, the company said it had either sought to repair the boiler or provided temporary heating arrangements¹.

Louise Lowes said the company had contacted all customers affected and was closely monitoring its most vulnerable customers and offering appropriate support. She said information was being provided to customers who had been without power for 12 hours, and that appropriate compensation would be paid in line with industry standards, on a claim-by-claim basis. Customers requiring additional support or with a claim to raise were asked to call 105¹.

Why it matters for households

The incident shows how a fault on the network can damage wiring and appliances inside a home even where power is restored quickly. Northern Powergrid said some homes needed further repairs to internal electrics and electrical appliances after reconnection, and that it was repairing or replacing damaged items with its partner GES¹. Households whose boilers were affected were either offered a repair or given temporary heating arrangements¹.

The company said neutral faults occur infrequently but can be alarming to those affected¹. It asked customers needing additional support, or with a claim to raise, to call 105, and said compensation would be handled on a claim-by-claim basis in line with industry standards¹. It also said it was monitoring its most vulnerable customers and offering appropriate support¹.

For households dealing with a supply interruption, the site's guide on how long until the electricity comes back sets out what restoration timescales typically involve, and the power cuts hub covers wider planning for outages. The checklist for checking on neighbours and relatives covers households that may need extra help during an incident.

What happens next

Northern Powergrid said it would continue providing support throughout the day of its 24 March 2023 update, with teams on site handling repairs and claims¹. No further timetable for completing internal repairs has been reported.