How To Prepare For A Power Cut In The UK

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Most power cuts in the UK are short – a few minutes or a few hours – but storms, flooding and equipment faults can leave homes without electricity for a day or more. A little preparation makes the difference between an inconvenience and a genuinely difficult night, especially if you have young children, older relatives or someone who relies on medical equipment.

This guide covers what to do the moment the power goes, how to prepare in advance, and the kit worth having at home – torches, power banks and a radio in particular.

What to do when the power goes off

1. Check whether it’s just you. Look outside or ask a neighbour. If they have power, check your fuse box (consumer unit) to see whether a switch has tripped.
2. Call 105. 105 is the free national number for reporting or checking on a power cut in England, Scotland and Wales. It puts you through to your local electricity network operator, who can tell you what has happened and when power should be back. You can also check your network operator’s website or social media for live updates.
3. Switch off appliances that could be dangerous if they come back on unattended – cookers, irons, heaters and hair straighteners – but leave one light switched on so you know when the power returns.
4. Keep the fridge and freezer doors shut. A fridge will keep food cold for around four hours, and a full freezer for about 48 hours (about 24 if half full).
5. Use torches, not candles, wherever possible. If you do use candles, never leave them unattended and keep them well away from curtains, children and pets.
6. Check on vulnerable neighbours – older people living alone in particular.

If you smell gas at any point, don’t use light switches or naked flames, open doors and windows, turn the gas off at the meter if you can, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

How to prepare before a power cut

Sign up to the Priority Services Register

If you or someone in your home is older, disabled, has young children, has a long-term health condition or relies on medical equipment, sign up to your network operator’s free Priority Services Register. You may get advance warning of planned cuts, extra support during an outage and priority updates. Water companies run their own registers too.

Write down key numbers on paper

Your phone may go flat, so keep a paper list of 105, 0800 111 999, your water company, your GP and family contacts. Our guide to creating a household emergency plan includes a free printable template.

Know where your fuse box, torches and spare batteries are

Keep a torch next to your bed and another by the fuse box, and make sure everyone in the household knows where they are – in the dark, you won’t want to be hunting for them.

Keep phones and power banks charged

When storms are forecast, charge your phone, power banks and any rechargeable torches. A fully charged power bank can keep a phone going for several days.

Have food and water that don’t need power

Keep a few days’ worth of food that can be eaten cold or heated without electricity, plus bottled water. See emergency food supplies on a budget and how much emergency water you should store.

The kit worth having for a power cut

You don’t need much – but these items make a real difference.

1. Torches and lanterns

LED torches and lanterns are the safest source of light. A head torch keeps both hands free for cooking or looking after children, and a lantern lights a whole room. Rechargeable or wind-up models mean you’re not reliant on batteries – but keep spare batteries anyway.

• Petzl Tikka head torch – reliable, lightweight and easy to use
• Rechargeable LED lantern – lights a whole room for hours
• Wind-up LED torch – works even when the batteries are flat

See also our round-up of the top torches under £75.

2. A power bank

A 20,000mAh power bank will charge most smartphones four or five times – enough to keep you connected through a long power cut. Read our guide to the best power banks for emergency use.

• Anker 20,000mAh power bank – good all-rounder with a display showing the remaining charge
• INIU 10,000mAh power bank – compact budget option for one or two phone charges

3. A battery or wind-up radio

If the power and mobile networks go down, a radio may be your only source of news and official updates. A wind-up or solar radio never needs mains power. See our guide to the best emergency radios for UK households.

• Kaito KA500 – wind-up, solar, battery and USB powered, with a torch
• DAB+ wind-up radios – useful if you mainly listen to digital stations

4. For longer cuts: a portable power station

If you need to keep a fridge, a medical device or a router running, a portable power station is a safe, quiet alternative to a generator and can be used indoors. See our guide to the best portable power stations for home emergencies.

5. Warmth

In winter, a power cut usually means no heating either. Keep blankets, warm layers and hot water bottles to hand (boil water on a gas hob if you have one). Our guide to preparing for a winter power cut has more.

Staying safe during a power cut

• Never use a BBQ, camping stove, patio heater or generator indoors, in a garage or in a tent – they produce carbon monoxide, which can kill. Fit a battery carbon monoxide alarm.
• Never run a generator indoors or plug it into your home’s wiring yourself – it must be connected by a qualified electrician using a changeover switch.
• Unplug sensitive electronics so they aren’t damaged by a surge when the power returns.
• Throw away chilled food that has been above 8°C for more than four hours.

When the power comes back

• Switch appliances back on one at a time to avoid overloading the circuit.
• Check food in the fridge and freezer – if in doubt, throw it out. Don’t refreeze food that has fully thawed.
• Reset clocks, timers and your heating controls.
• Recharge your torches and power banks ready for next time.

Quick checklist

• 105 and 0800 111 999 written down on paper
• Torch by the bed and by the fuse box, plus spare batteries
• A charged power bank
• A battery or wind-up radio
• Blankets and warm layers
• Food that needs no cooking, and bottled water
• A battery carbon monoxide alarm
• Priority Services Register sign-up, if eligible

This guide brings together our earlier posts on power cuts and blackouts. For a full household kit list, see what should be in a UK household emergency kit.