An unplanned power cut affected homes across parts of Cambridgeshire on Sunday evening. Outages were reported in Werrington, Peterborough, and in the villages of Over and Willingham.

UK Power Networks said it became aware of the fault just before 18:00 GMT. Engineers were sent to repair electrical equipment supplying local homes.

Power was restored in Werrington by 19:29, and in the villages by 23:31. Earlier, the company said: “There’s been an issue on our electricity network so in the interest of public safety, we’ve had to switch off power to 22 properties as a precaution.”

The incident underlines the growing need for resilient electricity networks as demand rises with electrification. Heat pumps, electric vehicles and local renewables all depend on reliable, flexible grids.

Strengthening local infrastructure also supports emissions cuts by enabling more low-carbon power to be used where it is generated. Faster fault detection, smart networks and targeted investment can reduce disruption while supporting the transition to cleaner energy.

As communities rely more on electricity to decarbonise heating and transport, short outages can have wider impacts. Grid upgrades are therefore not only about reliability, but about delivering sustainable energy at scale.