Retailer Sally Stringer, who runs Beckford Stores near Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, with her husband Geoff, is seething after suffering two power cuts in as many weeks.
Building work on a new house was to blame for power losses which left Sally in the dark and out of pocket.
She said: "Central Networks told us the power would be off, but when we asked for a generator they said no. The person I spoke to couldn't seem to care less we had a business to run."
The Stringers borrowed a generator from a helpful customer, which they used to run some fridges and freezers and the post office computer, but there was not enough power to have the lights on.
Sally said: "The power went off at 9.30am and came back on at 1pm," said Sally. "However, there was a further problem so the power had to go off again 10 days later."
A Central Networks spokesman said it was abiding by Ofgem guidelines by giving the statutory notice and that compensation could not be sought unless power was off for 18 hours or more.