Missed broadband engineer appointment compensation in the UK: what you’re owed, when it’s automatic and what to do next

The short answer: are you owed compensation for a missed broadband engineer appointment?

Usually, yes, if all of these apply:

• you had a scheduled appointment for your residential fixed broadband or landline service
• the appointment was for activation or fixing a total loss of service
• the engineer did not attend, or the provider cancelled or changed it with less than 24 hours’ notice
• your provider is signed up to the automatic compensation scheme

For qualifying missed appointments, the current payment is £32.31 for each missed appointment.

With providers in the scheme, you should not usually need to make a separate claim. BT and EE both say they will credit your account automatically within 30 days. Guidance on the wider scheme also says the credit should normally be added within 30 calendar days.

How the UK automatic compensation scheme works

The scheme covers residential fixed broadband and landline products. It does not cover every mobile or business service.

The three main situations covered are:

• delayed activation of a new service
• delayed repair after a total loss of service
• missed engineer appointments

BT says automatic compensation applies to all BT residential customers, but not business contracts. Guidance on the wider scheme also says mobile contracts or mobile broadband are not covered.

If your provider has signed up, compensation is normally paid as an account or bill credit rather than cash to your bank account.

How much you should get for a missed engineer appointment

The current payments are:

Problem	Amount	When it applies
Missed engineer appointment	£32.31 per appointment	Engineer misses a scheduled appointment, or it is changed with less than 24 hours’ notice
Delayed repair after total loss of service	£10.34 per day	Service still not fixed within two working days after you report it
Delayed start of a new service	£6.46 per day	Service is not activated by 11.59pm on the confirmed date

BT and EE both say these rates are reviewed annually in line with the Consumer Price Index, and current rates apply to incidents from 1 April onward.

What counts as a missed appointment and when compensation applies

A missed appointment normally means one of two things:

• the engineer does not attend your scheduled appointment, or
• the provider changes, cancels or reschedules it with less than 24 hours’ notice

Guidance on how the notice period works says you measure the 24 hours from the provider’s time-stamped cancellation or rescheduling message to the start of the confirmed appointment window.

A few common situations:

• If no engineer arrives during the confirmed appointment window, that is likely to qualify.
• If the provider cancels 23 hours before the start of the window, that may qualify.
• If it cancels 25 hours before, it would not normally qualify.
• If you agree to a change of appointment time slot for the same day, BT and EE say compensation is not due.

The missed-appointment payment is aimed at a provider-side failure. It is tied to appointments for activation or for fixing a full service outage.

Which broadband providers are covered

Current signatories include:

• BT
• EE
• Hyperoptic
• Plusnet
• Sky / NOW
• TalkTalk
• Utility Warehouse
• Virgin Media
• Vodafone
• Zen Internet

Another guide says these providers together account for more than 90% of UK connections.

If your provider is not in the scheme, you can still complain and ask for compensation, but the payment will not be automatic.

When compensation may not be paid

The main exclusions are fairly consistent.

You may not get missed-appointment compensation if:

• the provider gave you more than 24 hours’ notice of the change or cancellation
• you agreed to a same-day change of slot
• the appointment was not for activation or fixing a full service outage
• you were not at the property to give access at the appointment time
• you caused or prevented the appointment or repair from being completed
• you didn’t accept the earliest appointment date available when rebooking
• you breached the terms and conditions of the service agreement

For delayed repair claims, BT and EE also list some cases where daily outage compensation is not due, including:

• the fault is intermittent rather than a total loss of service
• the fault is inside your home
• the fault is fixed within two working days
• the repair is delayed because you missed the appointment

One guide also notes that TalkTalk may have restrictions for customers not served over the Openreach network.

Is it automatic or do you need to claim?

If your provider is in the scheme and your case qualifies, it should usually be automatic.

BT says: if you are eligible, you won’t need to do anything and it will automatically credit your account within 30 days. EE says the same.

The timing given in scheme guidance is:

• within 30 days of the missed appointment, for a missed visit
• within 30 days of activation, for delayed start compensation
• within 30 days of fixing the total loss of service fault, for delayed repair compensation

In practice, that means a missed appointment credit may show up before your next bill, or on a later bill within that 30-day period.

What to do if your provider does not pay

If the credit does not appear, the most useful step is to build a simple record of what happened.

Keep:

• the original appointment confirmation
• the date, service address and appointment window
• any cancellation or rescheduling message, with its timestamp
• notes showing that nobody attended during the agreed window
• engineer, provider, Openreach or contractor reference numbers
• chat transcripts, emails, call dates and complaint references
• your account or bill showing whether the credit appeared

Then:

1. Check your account and bills for up to 30 calendar days after the missed appointment.
2. Contact your provider with the appointment details and evidence.
3. Ask it to explain, in writing, which rule or factual issue it is relying on if it says compensation is not due.
4. If needed, raise a formal complaint and keep the complaint reference.

If the dispute is over a claimed no-show, your evidence matters. A timestamped cancellation text, a screenshot of the booked slot, and notes that the engineer did not attend during the confirmed window can all help.

Other broadband compensation you may be owed at the same time

A missed appointment is only one part of the scheme. You may also be owed compensation for:

Delayed repair after a total loss of service

If your broadband or landline has a total loss of service and it is not fixed within two working days after you report it, compensation is £10.34 for each extra day it remains unfixed.

BT and EE define total loss of service as either:

• being unable to make or receive any phone calls, or only having one-way calling when it should work both ways, or
• being unable to access the internet through your broadband service

Working days are Monday to Friday, and public holidays are excluded.

BT’s example says if you report a fault on Monday and it is not fixed by 11.59pm on Wednesday, compensation starts from Thursday.

Delayed start of a new service

If your broadband or landline is not activated by 11.59pm on the confirmed date, compensation is £6.46 for each day it is late.

BT and EE both say the payment starts on the missed activation date and continues for each full day until the service is activated.

Maximum period and right to leave

BT and EE both say that for total loss of service, fault, or delayed activation, compensation can be paid for up to 60 days.

They also say that if the service issue cannot be fixed after 30 days, you have the right to leave with no termination charges.

How to complain and escalate to ADR

If your provider does not sort it out, you can escalate through its formal complaints process first.

Guidance on escalation says you can then go to the provider’s approved ADR scheme:

• CEDR (CISAS), or
• Ombudsman Services: Communications

One guide says you can escalate after eight weeks, or sooner if the provider issues a deadlock letter. Another says to use the provider’s approved ADR scheme after six weeks, or sooner with a deadlock letter. The consistent point is that a deadlock letter can let you escalate earlier.

When you complain, include:

• your account number
• the appointment date and window
• what happened
• the compensation you believe is due
• copies of your evidence
• your complaint reference if you already have one

Quick examples: common missed appointment scenarios

The engineer simply never arrives

If you had a confirmed slot for a broadband activation or repair of a total outage, and no engineer attended during that window, this is the clearest case for £32.31 if your provider is in the scheme.

The provider changes the slot the day before

If the provider reschedules with less than 24 hours’ notice, that normally qualifies for the missed-appointment payment.

The provider cancels two days before

If you were told more than 24 hours in advance, missed-appointment compensation is not normally due.

The engineer comes late, but still within the booked window

The guidance focuses on whether the engineer attended the confirmed appointment window. If they arrived within that window, it would not usually count as a missed appointment.

You were in, but the provider says the engineer attended

This is where records matter most. Keep the booking confirmation, any texts or calls, and notes showing the engineer did not attend during the slot. Then challenge the provider in writing and ask what evidence it is relying on.

You missed the engineer

If you were not there to provide access, BT and EE say compensation is not due.

The missed visit was for something other than activation or a full outage repair

BT and EE say the automatic missed-appointment payment is not due if the appointment was not for activation or fixing a full service outage.

FAQ

Do I get compensation if a broadband engineer does not turn up?

Yes, if it was a qualifying appointment, your provider is in the scheme, and the missed visit was for activation or fixing a total loss of service.

How much is missed appointment compensation in the UK?

The current amount is £32.31 per missed appointment.

Is it automatic?

With participating providers, it should normally be automatic and paid as a bill or account credit.

How long does the provider have to pay?

It should normally be paid within 30 days. BT and EE both say within 30 days of the missed appointment, service activation, or fault being fixed, depending on the type of compensation.

Does it cover broadband and landlines only?

The scheme covers residential fixed broadband and landline products. It does not generally cover mobile contracts or mobile broadband.

Can I get missed appointment compensation and outage compensation as well?

The guidance does not set out a single rule covering every overlap, but it does show that the missed-appointment payment is separate from the daily payments for delayed repair and delayed activation. For delayed repair, BT and EE say compensation can pause if the repair is delayed because you missed the appointment, and then start again if the repair still is not completed during the next engineer visit.

What if I was not given a proper time slot?

The scheme refers to a scheduled appointment, a confirmed appointment window, and a provider cancellation or rescheduling notice measured against that window. If the details were unclear, keep all booking messages and ask the provider to confirm the exact agreed window in writing.

What if my provider is not signed up?

You can still complain and ask for compensation, but you should not rely on it being paid automatically.