How much compensation can I get for a broadband outage?

Under Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme, you are entitled to £8.40 per day for loss of broadband service that lasts more than 2 full working days. The daily rate applies for each calendar day until your service is restored.

Does the 2-day rule mean 48 hours?

The qualifying threshold is 2 full working days without service, not 48 hours. Weekends and bank holidays may not count as working days depending on your provider's interpretation. If in doubt, claim from the date you first reported the fault.

What if my new broadband activation is delayed?

If your new broadband service is not activated on the agreed date, you are owed £5.25 per day of delay. The compensation starts from the first day past the agreed activation date.

Do I get compensation for a missed engineer appointment?

Yes. If an engineer fails to attend an agreed appointment, you are entitled to £25 per missed visit. This applies regardless of whether you have a separate service fault.

Is my provider part of the automatic compensation scheme?

BT, EE, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media, and Zen Internet are all signed up. Other providers may have joined since the scheme launched in 2019. Check the Ofcom website for the latest list.

Should compensation be paid automatically?

Yes, signed providers must pay automatically without you needing to ask. In practice, many customers need to contact their provider to prompt payment. This calculator helps you know the exact amount to request.

Can I claim for multiple outage events?

Yes. Add each event separately. Each qualifying event is calculated independently and the total is the sum of all eligible compensations.

What if my provider refuses to pay?

If your provider does not pay within 8 weeks, or you disagree with their response, you can escalate for free to an Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme — either CISAS or Ombudsman Services: Communications.

Is this calculator a guarantee of payment?

No. It provides an estimate based on published Ofcom rates and the information you enter. Actual payment depends on your provider's policies and whether they are part of the scheme.

What evidence do I need for a strong claim?

The strongest claims include: precise outage dates and times, fault reference numbers from your provider, screenshots or logs from your router, and records of all communications with your provider.

Broadband Outage Compensation Calculator UK 2026 — Check What You’re Owed

How This Tool Works

📋 Purpose

This tool helps UK broadband customers work out whether they are owed compensation when their service goes wrong. It covers the three main categories in Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme: loss of service (outages lasting 2+ working days), delayed start of new broadband, and missed engineer appointments. Enter your details, get an instant estimate, and copy a claim-ready summary to send to your provider.

⚙️ How It Works

1
Select your broadband provider and enter your postcode
2
Add each outage, delayed activation, or missed appointment as a separate event
3
Enter start and end times for outages and delays, plus any incident reference numbers
4
The tool calculates compensation using published Ofcom rates (£8.40/day, £5.25/day, or £25 flat)
5
Review which events qualify, your evidence strength score, and total estimated payout
6
Copy the claim summary to use when contacting your provider or filing a complaint

Ofcom Automatic Compensation Scheme

Since April 2019, major UK broadband providers must automatically compensate customers for service failures. Current rates: £8.40/day for loss of service (after 2 working days), £5.25/day for delayed activation, and £25 per missed engineer appointment. Signed providers include BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media, Zen, and others.

Complete the form and press Calculate to see your estimated compensation. You may be entitled to money back if your broadband was down for 2 or more working days.

Ofcom Compensation Rates

Standard rates under the automatic compensation scheme, effective from April 2019

£8.40

per day for loss of service

(after 2 full working days)

£5.25

per day for delayed start

(beyond agreed activation date)

£25.00

per missed appointment

(flat rate per visit)

Data Sources and How This Works

Your Inputs

All calculations use the information you enter — your provider, postcode, event type, and outage dates. No personal data is stored or sent to any external service.

Compensation Rates

Rates come from Ofcom's published automatic compensation scheme (April 2019, current as of 2026): £8.40/day for loss of service after 2 working days, £5.25/day for delayed activation of a new service, and £25 flat per missed engineer appointment. These are the same for all signed providers.

How Compensation Is Calculated

For each event you enter, the tool checks whether it meets the qualifying threshold (e.g. 2+ working days for an outage). If it qualifies, we multiply the number of full compensable days by the relevant daily rate. Missed appointments receive a flat £25 payment. The total is the sum of all qualifying events.

Evidence Scoring

The evidence score shows how much supporting detail you have provided. It is calculated from four factors: whether you entered a postcode (20%), selected a named provider (20%), recorded at least one incident reference (30%), and have at least one event that meets the qualifying threshold (30%). A higher score does not guarantee payment but indicates a stronger claim.

Important Disclaimer

This tool provides estimates only. Actual compensation depends on your provider's policies, whether they are signed up to the Ofcom scheme, and the specific circumstances of your outage. Always verify your eligibility with your provider before filing a formal claim.

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Complete Guide to Broadband Outage Compensation in the UK

Everything you need to know about claiming compensation when your broadband goes down, your new service is delayed, or an engineer appointment is missed.

📅 Last updated: 2026-06-01

Quick Tips

Jump-start your understanding with these essential tips

Providers round times in their favour. Keep a log with exact timestamps from your router, provider app, or email alerts. This makes it much harder for them to dispute your claim.

The automatic compensation scheme applies to BT, EE, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media, Zen Internet, and others. Check the Ofcom website or your contract terms. If your provider is not signed up, you can still complain, but compensation is not automatic.

If an engineer fails to arrive at an agreed time, you are owed £25 regardless of whether you had a separate broadband fault. You do not need to prove any service loss to claim for a missed visit.

Every time you report a fault, ask your provider for a reference number. This strengthens your evidence and makes it easier to track multiple events when filing a claim.

Under the scheme, signed providers must pay without you asking. In practice, many customers need to prompt their provider. Use this calculator to know exactly what you are owed before you call.

Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps to get the most from this tool

Select your broadband provider from the dropdown and enter your postcode. This information is used for your claim summary. We do not send or store your postcode.

💡 Pro Tips:

•If your provider is not in the list, select "Other".
•Your postcode helps when generating a claim-ready summary for your provider.

Check if your broadband deal is good value

For each incident, choose the event type: loss of service, delayed start of a new service, or missed engineer appointment. Enter exact start and end times for outages and delays. Add your incident reference number if you have one.

You can add multiple events — for example, if your broadband went down twice in the same month, or you had an outage and a missed appointment.

💡 Pro Tips:

•Loss of service must last at least 2 full working days to qualify.
•Delayed start compensates from day 1 past the agreed activation date.
•Missed appointments are a flat £25 — no duration needed.

Calculate whether switching broadband saves money

The tool shows your total estimated compensation, which events qualify, and an evidence strength score. Events that do not meet the qualifying threshold are clearly marked, with an explanation of why.

The evidence score is based on how much supporting information you have provided — postcode, named provider, incident references, and qualifying durations.

💡 Pro Tips:

•A higher evidence score helps you build a stronger case.
•The breakdown shows the exact calculation for each event.

Use the "Copy Claim Details" button to get a ready-made summary with all your event details, dates, and compensation total. Paste this into an email, online chat, or use it when calling your provider.

If your provider does not respond or pay within 8 weeks, you can escalate to a free Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme — either CISAS or Ombudsman Services: Communications.

💡 Pro Tips:

•Keep a copy of your claim and all correspondence.
•Providers must respond within 30 days under Ofcom guidance.
•ADR services are free for residential customers and binding on signed providers.

Check if you are owed a utility back-billing refund Ofcom broadband complaint guidance↗

Advanced Topics

Deep dives for advanced users

If your provider rejects your claim or fails to respond within 8 weeks, you can escalate for free to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service. All UK broadband providers must be registered with either CISAS or Ombudsman Services: Communications.

Prepare your incident reference numbers, complete correspondence trail, timestamps of all fault reports, and this calculator's claim summary. The ADR service will review the evidence and issue a binding decision.

Find your provider's ADR scheme on Ofcom↗

Some smaller broadband providers are not yet signed up to Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme. If your provider is not part of the scheme, you can still complain and request compensation, but it will not be automatic.

Start by raising a formal complaint with your provider. If they do not resolve it within 8 weeks, you can still escalate to their ADR scheme. The ADR service can order compensation even if the provider is not in the automatic scheme.

If you experience repeated short outages that individually do not meet the 2-day threshold, these may still form part of a broader service quality complaint. While each individual event may not trigger automatic compensation, persistent unreliability can be grounds for a formal complaint and contract exit without penalty.

Document every outage with screenshots, router logs, and speedtest results. Use our Broadband Speed vs Price Calculator to compare whether your current deal delivers value for money.

Compare broadband speed vs price value Should you exit your contract early?

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