stayprepared
What to keep, how much, and what to do when something stops. This file works with no internet: keep it on your phone, print it, or share it.
Made from stayprepared.co.uk on 12 October 2026. Check official guidance for your area too.
Follow official instructions first. They know what is happening where you live. This site helps you get ready beforehand, and does not post live updates.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own official sites too: ready.scot, gov.wales and nidirect.gov.uk.
If you are starting from nothing, these cover most short disruptions.
First check whether it is just your home. Then call 105 to report it and hear when it should be back.
105 is free from any phone in Great Britain. In Northern Ireland, call NIE Networks on 03457 643 643.
If a switch has tripped, it may be just your home. If the street lights and next door are out too, it is the network.
Report it and get an estimate for when power returns. The website powercut105.com shows known cuts by postcode.
Candles are a common cause of house fires in power cuts. A torch or battery lantern is safer.
A full freezer keeps food frozen for about 48 hours if the door stays shut. A half-full one lasts about 24.
This protects them from a surge when power returns. Leave one light on, so you know when it is back.
Close the doors, add layers and use blankets. A hot-water bottle filled before the cut keeps warm for hours.
Older people and anyone using medical equipment may need help first. Knock, or phone if you have the number.
Keep 3 litres of drinking water per person per day, for at least 3 days. That is 9 litres each.
It is the figure gov.uk uses, from the World Health Organisation. It covers drinking and a little for food.
About 5 large 2-litre bottles.
Two 6-packs of 1.5-litre bottles, or a 10-litre container plus 4 large bottles.
About 18 large bottles, or three 10-litre containers with a few bottles.
Allow about 1 litre a day for a medium dog. Cats need much less.
Up to 10 litres per person a day covers cooking and washing. Fill the bath before a planned cut for flushing.
Store sealed bottles away from sunlight and chemicals. Check the dates and use the oldest first, every 6 to 12 months.
They set up bottled water stations. People on the Priority Services Register get water brought to them.
When a warning covers your area, get ready the day before. Charge phones, bring in loose things and plan to stay in.
The Met Office issues warnings in 3 colours. Yellow means be aware, amber means be prepared, red means take action.
Read what the Met Office says to expect and when. Warnings are often issued 2 to 5 days ahead.
Garden furniture, bins, trampolines and plant pots. Wind turns them into hazards for you and your neighbours.
Phones, power banks and rechargeable torches. Power cuts are common in strong wind.
A battery or wind-up radio keeps working when the mobile network drops.
Storms often bring flooding. Warnings by text or call are free, by postcode.
An older neighbour, or someone who relies on power for medical equipment. Swap numbers if you have not.
In a red warning, travel only if you must. Keep away from the coast, trees and high-sided vehicles.
A flood warning means flooding is expected. Act now: move people, pets and valuables upstairs, and be ready to leave.
A flood alert means flooding is possible, so get ready. A severe flood warning means danger to life: do what the emergency services tell you.
The check for flooding service shows current warnings and river levels. Floodline is 0345 988 1188.
Then documents, phone chargers and anything you would not want to lose.
Medicines, documents, cash, a torch, chargers and warm clothes. Take it if you are told to leave.
Only if you can do it safely, and before the water rises.
Do it before water comes in, and only if it is safe. Find the switches and stopcock now.
Older people and families with young children may need help to move things or leave.
Warnings by text, call or email are free, by postcode. Scotland and Wales have their own services, linked from the same page.
Check whether your neighbours have water too. Then check your water company's website or social media for updates.
If the supply is off for long, they set up bottled water stations. People on the Priority Services Register get water brought to them.
Make sure your stopcock is open. If only your home is affected, it may be a leak or a frozen pipe.
Your bill names your company. Their website shows known problems by postcode. Call them if nothing is posted.
Allow 3 litres per person per day. Keep it for drinking and food, not washing.
Pour a bucket of bath or rain water into the pan. Flush only when you need to.
Say if anyone at home is older, disabled, unwell or has a young baby. They put you first for deliveries.
Run it until the water is clear. Cloudy water is usually air, and clears if left to stand.
Boil tap water and let it cool before drinking, brushing teeth or preparing food, until you are told to stop.
The UK government asks every household to be able to cope on its own for at least 3 days. It does not say anything is about to happen.
In an emergency, help goes first to the people who need it most. Being ready means you can manage while that happens.
3 litres per person per day, for at least 3 days. That is 9 litres each.
Tins and packets you already eat, including some that need no cooking. And a tin opener.
A torch, spare batteries and a charged power bank.
A battery or wind-up radio, for when the mobile network is down.
A few days of any regular medicines, and a basic first aid kit.
In small notes, in case cards and cash machines stop.
Who you would call, where you would meet, and the numbers written on paper.
Keep your home cool, drink water through the day and check on anyone older or unwell.
Heat harms older people most, and most of that harm can be avoided. The UK Health Security Agency issues heat-health alerts in yellow, amber and red.
Amber and red alerts mean the heat is likely to affect health services and people at risk.
Close curtains on windows that get the sun. Open windows when it is cooler outside than in.
Do not wait until you are thirsty. Go easy on alcohol and caffeine.
It is at its strongest then. Wear a hat and sun cream if you have to go out.
Older neighbours, babies and anyone with a heart or breathing condition. Call or visit once a day.
This includes children and pets, even for a few minutes.
Headache, dizziness, sweating, cramps and feeling sick. Move somewhere cool, lie down, and sip water.
Pick one room to keep warm, close the door and curtains, and dress in layers.
Cold is hardest on older people, babies and anyone unwell. The NHS suggests keeping a living room at 18°C or more.
The smallest room you can all use. Close its door and keep other doors shut.
Keep them open in the day if the sun is out, then close them to hold the heat in.
Several thin layers beat one thick one. Keep hands and feet warm too.
A flask filled while you still have power keeps water hot for hours.
Get up and walk around every hour if you can. Sitting still makes you colder.
Fill it with hot, not boiling, water. Replace old or worn rubber bottles.
Older neighbours, babies and people who are unwell feel the cold first. Knock or call.
An Emergency Alert means there is a danger to life nearby. Read it and follow what it says.
Your phone makes a loud, siren-like sound and vibrates, even on silent. You do not need to sign up.
Alerts go to every phone in an area and do not track you. Keep them switched on, or you would miss real warnings.
It tells you what is happening and what to do. It may link to gov.uk for more.
Find somewhere safe and legal to stop first, or ask a passenger.
That might be to stay indoors, to leave an area, or to avoid a road.
Older relatives, neighbours, or anyone without a smartphone.
A battery or wind-up radio keeps working if mobile networks are busy.
Keep 3 days of food you can eat cold: tins, packets and long-life drinks you already like.
Buy what you normally eat, a little at a time, and use the oldest first. Keep a tin opener that does not need power.
Tuna, sardines, salmon and ham are cooked in the tin and eaten cold.
Baked beans, chickpeas and lentils are already cooked. They are fine cold.
Fruit in juice, sweetcorn and potatoes. Drink the juice too.
They keep for months. Eat cereal dry or with long-life milk.
A lot of energy in a small space. Check for allergies at home.
UHT cartons keep for months unopened. Once opened, drink them that day without a fridge.
It comes in cartons and needs no water or boiling. Keep a few days of it.
The Priority Services Register is free. It gets you extra help from your energy network and water company in a cut.
You can join if anyone at home is older, disabled, unwell, pregnant, has young children, or relies on power for medical equipment.
You hear in advance when power or water will be switched off for work.
Updates and support come to you first, and sometimes a visit.
If the taps stop, your water company delivers bottled water.
So you know someone at the door or on the phone really is from the company.
Bills and messages in large print, braille, audio or another language.
Contact your energy supplier and your water company. Ask each to share it with your network operator.
After an operation, or with a new baby. Tell them when it no longer applies.
Eat food that needs no cooking first. Save heat for hot drinks and one hot meal a day.
A gas hob often still works in a power cut. Camping stoves and barbecues are for outside only.
Tins, crackers, cereal and fruit. Keep fuel and effort for when you need them.
If the ignition is electric, light it carefully with a long match. Never leave it unattended.
Keep it well away from doors, windows and vents, and on a firm surface.
Then keep the rest hot in a vacuum flask for drinks later.
It puts out a pan fire. Never use water on burning oil.
Near any room with a gas, oil or solid fuel appliance. Test it monthly.
Eat from the fridge first, then the freezer, then the cupboard.
This is preparedness guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your healthcare team now about what happens in a power cut or water outage. See the medical disclaimer for what this means.
If someone at home relies on powered medical equipment (home dialysis, oxygen, a ventilator, a feeding pump) or medicine kept in a fridge (insulin, some injections), a power cut or water outage can become urgent within hours or days.
Your plan needs three things: how long treatment can safely wait, a backup power source, and a list of who to call, starting with your healthcare team.
How long can treatment or medication safely be delayed? What is the earliest sign something is wrong? Where would you go if your usual unit lost power or water?
You qualify because someone at home relies on medical equipment. This gets early warning of planned outages and priority support if one happens.
Some equipment can pause for hours, some for days, some not at all. Write it down and keep it somewhere you can find it in a crisis (your phone, your bag, the fridge door).
Ask your healthcare team what symptoms mean you need help right now, not tomorrow. Know the phone numbers for NHS 111 (urgent), 999 (emergency), and your GP.
A battery backup or portable power station can keep equipment running for a while; check how many watts it needs. A generator must only run outdoors, away from windows. Never run a car in a garage to charge anything.
Order repeat prescriptions about a week before you run out, so there is always a week spare. If you do run out, a pharmacist can sometimes give an emergency supply. Store medicines somewhere cool and dry, not the bathroom.
Your condition, current medicines, allergies, NHS number, who to call and your nearest hospital. Carry it with you and keep a copy at home.
This is preparedness guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your dialysis unit and kidney doctor now about what happens in a power cut or water outage. See the medical disclaimer for what this means.
Haemodialysis is usually needed 3 times a week. Missing a session can be dangerous, because potassium and fluid build up in the body. Your unit will have a plan for outages: ask for it now.
Peritoneal dialysis does not use mains water. If you use a machine overnight, ask your team how to switch to manual exchanges if the power goes off.
You rely on powered medical equipment. This gets you early warning of planned cuts and priority help if one happens.
Which unit would you go to if yours closed? Who calls you if a session moves? If you dialyse at home, what should you do in a power cut or water outage?
Your condition, medicines, allergies, fistula or line side, and your unit's phone number. A copy in your bag and one at home.
Your unit can give you a diet and fluid limit to follow if a session is delayed. It slows the build-up of potassium and fluid. Keep it with your medical card.
Chest pain, a very fast, slow or irregular heartbeat, severe breathlessness or sudden weakness: call 999 and say you are on dialysis.
Order repeat prescriptions early so there is always a week in hand.
Most resolve within hours; a small share last 1 to 3 days
Loss of mains electricity, from a storm, grid fault, or planned load shedding.
A torch per person and a set of spare batteries, stored somewhere you can find in the dark. A charged power bank, or a car charger, so a phone lasts through a long cut.
Usually under 48 hours
Mains water cut off or advised unsafe to drink, such as a burst main or a contamination notice.
Stored drinking water: 2.5 to 3 litres per person per day, the figure gov.uk now uses, with 3 days as a sensible minimum. That is roughly a 9-litre stock per person, or one and a half six-packs. Extra water for pets, and for cooking and basic washing if you have room for it.
Days to a couple of weeks
Shops or deliveries disrupted by weather, fuel shortages, industrial action, or logistics problems.
A modest store cupboard built gradually: 3 to 7 days of shelf-stable food per person, made of things you already eat. Buying one extra of a staple each week until you reach that level, rather than a single big shop.
Hours to a few days, sometimes longer for widespread flooding or storms
Storms, flooding, heatwaves, or heavy snow that make it hard or unsafe to leave home or reach shops.
Enough food, water, and medication for a few days, so you have no reason to travel in dangerous conditions. Warm layers, blankets, and a hot-water bottle for cold events; a fan, cool water, and closed curtains for heat.
Usually short-lived, localised, and resolves within days
Periods of local unrest, protest, or infrastructure strain that briefly affect movement, shops, or transport in an area.
The same core essentials as every other scenario: a few days of food, water, and medication. Staying informed through reliable local sources: police and council channels, local news, and official alerts, rather than rumour.
Months or longer, lived as waves: 1 to 2 weeks at home when someone is ill, and a few weeks of thin shelves at the start
A new illness spreading widely, as COVID-19 did from 2020, with periods at home and gaps on the shelves.
2 weeks of food, built up gradually from what you already eat, so an illness at home does not mean a trip to the shops. Medicines in hand: your repeat prescriptions ordered early, plus paracetamol or ibuprofen, a thermometer, and rehydration sachets.
Months or longer in affected regions, lived as repeated short disruptions: alerts lasting hours, power cuts of several hours a day, intermittent water and heating
War or sustained attacks on infrastructure in a modern, connected country.
A safe place in your home: an interior room or corridor away from windows, below ground if you have it. The usual rule is two walls between you and the outside. Know the nearest public shelter too, such as a basement, underground car park, or metro station. A bag by the door: documents, cash in small notes, medication, chargers, a torch, water, a change of clothes, and a paper list of contacts. Electronic copies of documents on a phone as well.
No. This is closer to what emergency services and governments already recommend: modest, realistic readiness for short, common disruptions, not preparing for civilisation's collapse.
The difference is in the scenarios. Prepper culture plans for total breakdown and assumes you will be on your own. This site plans for a three-day power cut, a boil-water notice, a fortnight of thin shelves, and assumes, because the evidence says so, that you will be surrounded by people helping each other.
Because fear leads to the wrong actions. Frightened households panic-buy, which empties shelves for everyone. Frightened people keep to themselves, which is how vulnerable neighbours go unchecked. Calm preparation, done slowly, is both more effective and more considerate, and it is the register the government and the Red Cross use for the same reason.
It is also simply more accurate. Most disruptions are short, local, and dull. Describing them that way is not complacency.
Anyone who has seen a news story about a storm, a shortage or a grid warning and wants a sensible starting point. It is written for households with limited time and budget who want a short, prioritised list and honest timeframes.
It is not written for people who want to be self-sufficient for months. The advice here matches what the UK government and the Red Cross ask of households, and stops there.
No. Large stockpiling is counterproductive. It empties shelves for everyone else, most disruptions are short, and unused stock often goes to waste. A modest, rotated supply covers the realistic scenarios.
The shortage most people remember from recent years was not caused by a lack of supply. It was caused by everyone buying three weeks' worth in the same three days. Buying normally is the single most helpful thing you can do during a supply scare.
Build a 3-day supply of water, food, and any essential medication, and know two neighbours by name.
Exactly as long as it says, if you have scaled it to the household. The trap is a kit sized for one person quietly sitting in a cupboard while four people live in the house. Water is the clearest example: 3 litres per person per day means a family of four needs 36 litres for three days, not the six-litre pack that fitted under the sink.
In practice most households already have more than three days of food. The gaps are usually water, light, a way to charge a phone, and a buffer of prescription medication. Those are the things to check.
It is the drinking figure, taken from gov.uk and the World Health Organisation, and it is the one worth meeting. For a household of two, a three-day stock is eighteen litres, which is three standard six-packs of bottled water. It takes up about the same room as a couple of bags of potatoes.
Cooking and washing water is extra and optional. In a planned cut, a filled bath or a couple of buckets covers flushing without touching the drinking stock.
Not if the supply is made of things you already eat and you use the oldest first. That is the whole point of building it from your normal shopping rather than buying special emergency food. Sealed bottled water keeps for years. Tinned food is usually fine well past its best-before date, though rotate it anyway.
Batteries, first aid supplies, and medication are the things to check on a schedule. Twice a year, when the clocks change, is an easy habit.
Starting from nothing, a household can cover the 'first' items on the checklist for well under the cost of a weekly shop, spread over a couple of months. Water, a torch, batteries, a tin opener, and a paper list of phone numbers are all cheap. A decent power bank and a wind-up radio are the two items most people need to buy new.
The food part costs nothing extra over time, because you eat it. It is a shift in when you buy things, not how much.
The three-day minimum for one person is nine litres of water, a few tins, a torch, a power bank, and a folder of documents. That fits in a single box or the bottom of a wardrobe. You do not need a garage.
Flats also have an advantage: neighbours are close. A building group chat is one of the easiest networks to set up and one of the most useful during a power cut.
For almost every household, no. Generators are expensive, need fuel storage, and are dangerous if used anywhere near a living space. Carbon monoxide from generators and camping stoves used indoors is the leading cause of death in power cuts.
If someone at home relies on powered medical equipment, the first step is registering with your network operator's Priority Services Register, which gets you earlier restoration and support. Talk to the equipment supplier about battery backup before considering a generator.
Usually for several hours, and often longer. Mobile masts have backup batteries, but they can run down in a long or widespread outage, and networks get congested when everyone calls at once. A charged power bank keeps your handset alive; a battery radio keeps you informed if the network drops.
Text messages often get through when calls do not. Agree with family that a text saying you are fine is enough.
Ask your GP or pharmacist. Many will allow a reorder a few days early, which over a few cycles builds a one- to two-week buffer without anyone going without. Rotate it so the oldest is used first. Some medications have specific storage needs, so ask rather than assume.
A week of food, water counted into the household total, any medication, a carrier, and a recent photo. Not every rest centre accepts animals, so know a friend or neighbour who would take them if you had to leave. In a heatwave or cold snap, pets are affected in the same way as people and need the same checking on.
It is included because it is realistic and occasionally happens, not because it is likely for any given household. A few days of local unrest, a transport shutdown, or a strain on local services is something some towns experience from time to time. The preparation is identical to a bad storm: stay in comfortably for a short while, follow official local sources rather than rumour, and check on neighbours.
Including it plainly, with the same calm treatment as a power cut, is the opposite of alarmism. Leaving it out would suggest it is unthinkable, which is not true either.
Start on your own street. Knock on the doors of anyone you know to be older, disabled, or alone, and ask whether they have what they need. Offer to carry water, collect a prescription, or share a charger. Then find or join a local mutual aid or neighbourhood group, which will already know where the gaps are.
If you have skills, share them: a first aid session, a repair afternoon, a cooked meal for a floor of a block.