Key Points
- There was a power outage in 29 buildings in the town centre of Bury on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
- It took place around 8.50am and was due to a sudden occurrence involving an underground electricity cable.
- Postcodes of BL9 0DA, BL9 0EU, BL9 0AN and BL9 0AJ were affected in parts of Broad Street, Silver Street and Market Street.
- Initially, Electricity North West estimated that supplies will be reconnected by 3pm.
- Supplies were reconnected at 10.06am, approximately one hour and 16 minutes after the problem had been reported.
- Wax and Beans on Market Street announced it could not open before its electricity was reconnected.
- Bank Bury stated the power outage could lead to a delay in opening.
- Electricity North West added that the estimated restoration could vary based on findings of engineers in the repair of the underground cable.
- The network operator appreciated the patience of customers while investigating and fixing the fault.
Bury (Manchester Mirror) October 29, 2026 — Town centre was hit by a power cut on Thursday, after an unexpected fault on an underground electricity cable left 29 properties without supply and disrupted businesses in parts of Broad Street, Silver Street and Market Street.
As reported by Bury Times, the incident was first logged at about 8.50am. Electricity North West, the distribution network operator responsible for the local electricity supply, initially told customers that power was expected to return by 3pm.
The operator later confirmed that electricity had been restored at 10.06am, meaning the interruption lasted approximately one hour and 16 minutes. In an update to customers, Electricity North West said: “Good news! The electricity in your area has been restored. The power cut was caused by an unexpected incident on our underground cable that provides your supply.”
Which Bury postcodes were affected?
The outage affected four town-centre postcodes: BL9 0DA, BL9 0EU, BL9 0AN and BL9 0AJ. According to Bury Times, these areas include parts of Broad Street, Silver Street and Market Street.
Bury Times reported that “dozens of properties” had been affected in its initial coverage, while its later update put the total at 29 properties. The figures refer to premises connected to the affected part of the local network, rather than a wider borough-wide outage.
Electricity North West said engineers attended the area to investigate and repair the fault. The company also cautioned that its initial 3pm restoration estimate was subject to change, depending on what engineers discovered during the repair work.
How did the power cut affect Bury businesses?
The interruption came during the morning trading period, when town-centre shops, cafés and other businesses would normally be preparing for customers.
Wax and Beans, a business on Market Street, said it was unable to open until its electricity supply was restored. As reported by Bury Times, the business told customers: “Thanks, and sorry folks.”
Another affected business, Bank Bury, warned that the outage could delay its opening. Bury Times reported that a number of surrounding businesses were also affected by the loss of supply.
The impact was therefore concentrated among businesses in the immediate affected streets rather than across the whole of Bury town centre. The restoration at 10.06am reduced the period during which premises were unable to trade or operate normally.
What did Electricity North West say?
Electricity North West confirmed that the cause was an unexpected incident on the underground cable supplying electricity to the area. The company said engineers attended the site to investigate the fault.
In its customer update after restoration, the operator thanked customers for their patience while the problem was investigated and repaired. It also confirmed that the outage had been marked as resolved.
The company’s initial public information distinguished between the reported fault and the restoration time, noting that the latter was an estimate and could change as engineers assessed the underground cable.
When was electricity restored?
Power was restored at 10.06am on October 29, 2026. Bury Times reported that this was “considerably earlier” than Electricity North West’s initial 3pm estimate.
The restoration came around one hour and 15 minutes after the incident was first reported at 8.50am. Bury Times described the incident as resolved following the restoration of supplies to the affected properties.
Background of the development
Electricity North West is the electricity distribution network operator for the area and provides live fault information through its power-cut services. Its guidance states that it may sometimes need to switch off supply to carry out safe work on the network, although the Bury incident was described as an unexpected fault rather than planned maintenance.
Underground cable faults are a recognised cause of localised power interruptions. In a separate recent case elsewhere in the North West, Electricity North West reported that a power cut affecting 35 properties in Kirkham had been caused by an unexpected incident involving an underground cable supplying homes and businesses.
Bury has previously experienced localised outages. In July 2024, Bury Times reported that 159 properties in the town were without power following an unexpected incident on a voltage cable. More recently, during Storm Boelo in October 2026, the BBC reported that power cuts affected hundreds of homes across the North West, including 57 properties in Radcliffe West, Bury.
Prediction: How this development can affect Bury businesses and residents
For Bury town-centre businesses, a short morning outage can still affect trading, staffing, refrigeration, card payments, online orders and customer appointments. Businesses on Market Street, Broad Street and Silver Street may need contingency plans for temporary closure notices, manual records, backup power for essential equipment, and clear customer communication when supply interruptions occur.
For residents and workers in the affected postcodes, the development highlights the value of checking the network operator’s live fault information and signing up for updates during an outage. Because the fault was repaired within roughly 76 minutes, the immediate financial and practical impact appears limited, but repeated interruptions in a commercial area can create planning uncertainty for independent shops and service providers.
For Electricity North West, the rapid restoration is likely to reduce customer disruption, although the company may still need to examine the underground cable further if engineers identify an underlying fault. The event also underscores the importance of accurate restoration estimates, since the initial 3pm estimate was revised after the supply returned at 10.06am.
