How to Prepare for a Power Cut: A Practical UK Guide

Before a power cut: build a simple kit

You do not need a bunker — you need a box. A basic power cut kit costs very little, fits in a cupboard, and turns a blackout from a crisis into an inconvenience. Check it twice a year: batteries die, torches wander off, water gets used. Know where your fuse box is before you need it, and keep the kit somewhere you can reach in the dark — not buried at the back of the loft.

• Torches and spare batteries — one per person, plus one per room. Head torches keep your hands free.
• A charged power bank — your phone is your radio, news feed and lifeline in one.
• Water — a few litres per person per day; supplies can be affected in longer outages.
• Food that needs no cooking — tins with ring pulls, snacks, and a manual tin opener.
• Warm layers and blankets — in winter the heating stops with the power.
• Some cash — card machines and cashpoints need electricity too.
• A battery or wind-up radio — for local updates if mobile networks struggle.
• Medication and a first aid kit — anything refrigerated may need a cool bag.

During a power cut: what to do first

Check whether it is just your home — are the streetlights on, do the neighbours have power? If it is only you, look at the fuse box or trip switches before assuming the worst.

Call 105 — the free UK power cut number. In England, Scotland and Wales it connects you to your local electricity network operator for updates and to report the cut. Save it in your phone now, before you need it.

Unplug sensitive appliances and chargers — a surge when power returns can damage them. Leave one light switched on so you notice when the power is back. And keep the fridge and freezer closed: an unopened fridge keeps food cold for roughly four hours, while a full freezer can hold its temperature for a day or two.

Never use barbecues, camping stoves or generators indoors — carbon monoxide kills silently. If you use a gas hob, ventilate the room and never use it for heating. If anyone feels dizzy or nauseous, get to fresh air immediately.

One useful habit: keep a cheap fridge thermometer inside. After the power returns, it tells you exactly how warm things got — no guessing, no sniff tests, no gambling on whether last night's chicken is still safe.

Finally, check on vulnerable neighbours. A knock on the door can matter more than anything in your kit.

If the power cut lasts longer

Most UK power cuts are resolved within hours. In a longer blackout, priorities shift to warmth, water and communication.

Consolidate the household into one room and shut the rest — body heat and blankets work far better in a small space. In cold weather, wearing layers beats trying to heat empty rooms.

Agree a family communication plan before you need it: where you meet if home becomes unsuitable, who picks up the children, and one out-of-area contact everyone can reach — when local networks are congested, a text to someone farther away often still gets through.

Keep a short list of what you would need if you had to leave for a night — chargers, medication, documents, warm clothes — so a grab-and-go takes minutes instead of an anxious hour.

When the power comes back on

Do not just flick the lamps back on. Take five minutes to close the loop properly — it is what turns a blackout from a scare into a drill.

Check the fridge and freezer contents first: perishable food that has spent a long time above fridge temperature should go. Then reset anything that needs it — clocks, timers, heating schedules — and plug your sensitive electronics back in.

Restock what you used. Replace the batteries, refill the water, recharge the power bank. A kit that was perfect during the cut is useless next time if it never gets replenished.

Finally, jot down when the power went off and when it returned. For long outages you may be entitled to compensation under your network operator's guaranteed standards — the operators publish the thresholds, and a short note of timings makes any claim far easier.

Keep a family emergency plan in one place

The difference between households that cope and households that scramble is rarely bravery — it is paperwork. Emergency contacts, medication lists, insurance details, the locations of the gas and water shut-offs: all of it belongs in one place everyone can find in the dark.

That is the idea behind the Family Emergency Binder — a single, organised record your household can reach for under stress. If you want to go deeper on blackout readiness, Blackout Protocol expands on everything here, and The Off-Grid Protocol covers longer-term independence from the grid.

A power cut is a rehearsal you get for free. Prepare once, and you will never fear the lights going out again.