FIELD: electrical engineering. SUBSTANCE: use: in electric power engineering. In the method of detecting single-phase earth faults in distribution network connections, the zero-sequence current signal is used and the zero-sequence voltage signal of the corresponding bus of the distribution network, the Gilbert transformation is applied to the said signals, as a result of which the instantaneous phase of the signal is obtained. Method then includes determining modulus of difference between values of instantaneous phase of voltage and instantaneous phase of zero sequence current, wherein if difference value exceeds value of π/2 for one of connections to distribution network bus, then single-phase earth fault occurs at such connection. EFFECT: technical result is increase in reliability of detecting single-phase earth faults in connections of distribution network.