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The Be Ready campaign: how to prepare for a power cut
The government wants every household ready for three days without power. The checklist in short, what it leaves out, what to do when the lights go off, and whether you need a battery.
The Be Ready checklist in short
The government’s advice is to build the kit up gradually, a few items at each shop, and to check it every six months. For three days it lists:
- Water: 3 litres per person per day for drinking, and more for cooking and washing.
- Food: things that keep without a fridge and need no cooking, such as tinned meat, fish or vegetables, dried fruit and nuts.
- Light and warmth: a torch with spare batteries (safer than candles), plus blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothes.
- Information: a battery or wind-up FM radio, and a charged power bank for phones or compatible medical devices.
- Money and papers: cash in coins and notes, copies of IDs and key documents, and important phone numbers written down.
- Health: a first aid kit, essential medication and hygiene items. Baby formula, nappies and pet food if you need them.
Read the full list, and download the printable version, on the official Be Ready page.
What the checklist leaves out
The checklist is about supplies you can hold in a cupboard. Electricity you can’t put in a cupboard, so a few things in a typical home stop with the grid:
- The boiler and heating. A gas boiler needs electricity for its controls and pump. No power means no heating or hot water, even though the gas is still on.
- The fridge and freezer. Food you counted on for three days can go off.
- The router. No Wi-Fi, and often no landline if it runs over broadband. A power bank keeps a phone going, but the mobile network may be congested.
- Heating, cooking and showers that are electric: all off.
- Stairlifts, medical equipment and security systems. If anyone at home relies on them, plan for it before a cut, not during.
None of this is a reason to worry, only a reason to decide in advance what matters in your home. Our no power guide covers the other half of the question: what to check when the cut is only in your house.
During a power cut: what to do
- Check it is a power cut. Look outside. If the street is dark it is the network; if only your home is off, see no power, or only half of it.
- Call 105. It is the free number for power cuts in England, Scotland and Wales, and it works from a mobile. Save it in your phone now.
- Keep the fridge and freezer doors shut so they stay cold for as long as possible.
- Use a torch, not candles. The government says torches are safer.
- Never run a petrol or diesel generator, or a barbecue, indoors or in a garage. They give off carbon monoxide.
- Unplug or switch off anything you don’t want to restart by itself, and leave one light switched on so you know when the power returns.
- Check on neighbours who are elderly, disabled or alone. If someone relies on medical equipment, tell the network operator: they can be on the free Priority Services Register at thepsr.co.uk.
Do you need a home battery?
It isn’t part of the government’s advice. The Be Ready checklist does not mention home batteries, and most households will manage three days with the supplies above. A battery is for people who want the house itself to keep working: the fridge and freezer, the boiler, the lights and the Wi-Fi.
The catch is that many batteries switch off when the grid does. To keep your home running, a system needs a backup unit or gateway that switches over automatically, and the circuits you want kept on have to be wired to it. We explain the choices, and compare six makes side by side, on our home battery backup page. You don’t need solar panels, and a battery added to an existing home is currently 0% VAT until 31 March 2027.
A small, cheaper step is a mini uninterruptible power supply (UPS) on the router, which keeps Wi-Fi up for a few hours. We can supply and fit one.
Questions we’re asked
What is the government's Be Ready campaign?
A Cabinet Office campaign launched on 22 October 2026, the first stage of a three-year programme. It asks every UK household to keep enough supplies to manage for three days if power, water, phones or the internet are disrupted, so that support can reach the people who need it most.
How many days should I be ready for?
Three days. The official checklist is built around three days of water, food, light, warmth, communication and medication, and recommends adding to it gradually and checking it every six months.
What should I have for a power cut?
From the official checklist: bottled water (3 litres per person per day), food that needs no fridge or cooking, a torch with spare batteries, warm clothing and blankets, a battery or wind-up FM radio, a charged power bank, cash, copies of key documents, a first aid kit and any medication you need.
Does the Be Ready checklist include a home battery?
No. The checklist covers supplies and planning, not equipment. A home battery with backup is an optional extra for people who want the fridge, boiler, lights and Wi-Fi to keep running through a cut.
What number do I call in a power cut?
105. It is free, works from a mobile and connects you to your local network operator in England, Scotland and Wales. In St Albans and Hertfordshire that is UK Power Networks. In Northern Ireland the number is 03457 643643.
Will my gas boiler work in a power cut?
No. The controls and pump need electricity, so the heating and hot water stop even though the gas is on. A home battery can keep the boiler running if it is on a backed-up circuit.
What is the Priority Services Register?
A free register that tells your electricity, gas and water suppliers you need extra support, including when supplies are interrupted. Many households are eligible, including those with children under five, older people, and anyone who relies on medical equipment. Sign up at thepsr.co.uk.
Written by SEGplc, an independent electrical contractor. Not affiliated with the Be Ready campaign or the Cabinet Office. Checklist details read from beready.campaign.gov.uk on 4 November 2026. Last updated 4 November 2026.
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