With a rare red heat health alert issued amid fears temperatures could reach 40C in London and beyond this week, extreme heat could cause widespread disruption to essential services such as energy, internet, and trains. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued the red warning for six regions of England – the West Midlands, East Midlands, South East, South West, London, and east of England – from 1am on Wednesday until 11pm on Thursday. A separate amber health alert covers the North West, North East, and Yorkshire and the Humber for the same period.
Train delays and cancellations
Rail passengers have been warned to expect delays and cancellations as soaring temperatures can cause tracks to expand and buckle. Generally, you are entitled to compensation if you arrive at your final destination 15 minutes or more late. For delays of 15 to 29 minutes, you can claim back 25% of your ticket cost. Delays of 30 to 59 minutes entitle you to a 50% refund, while delays exceeding an hour typically qualify for a full 100% refund. Delay compensation for a return ticket is calculated based on half the total cost for the delayed portion of the journey.
Internet outages
If your internet connection fails during hot weather, you may be eligible for compensation if the issue isn't resolved quickly. According to Ofcom, if your service is not restored after two complete working days, you're entitled to £10.34 for every calendar day it remains broken. Additionally, if an engineer fails to attend a scheduled appointment or cancels with fewer than 24 hours' notice, you could receive £32.31 per missed visit.
Power outages
Warm weather can drive up energy consumption, potentially causing power cuts. Ofgem states that if your property loses power for more than 12 hours and fewer than 5,000 premises are affected, you will receive £95 compensation, followed by an additional £45 for every subsequent 12-hour period without electricity. For disruptions affecting more than 5,000 homes and businesses, you'll get £95 if you've been without power for over 24 hours, then £45 for every further 12 hours, capped at £390 in total. If your gas supply is unexpectedly interrupted, you're entitled to a minimum of £70 for every 24-hour period without gas.
Water disruption
Should your water supply be interrupted by an emergency and not restored within 12 hours of your supplier learning of the problem, you will receive £20 compensation for the initial 24 hours, then an extra £10 for every subsequent 24-hour period. However, if the problem involves a strategic main pipe, the supplier has 48 hours to resolve the matter before compensation applies. Your water company must arrange an alternative water supply, such as bottled water or tankers, if you are left without provision for more than 12 hours. Note that you may not be entitled to compensation if the water company cannot restore supply due to the heat.
