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Get ready for a power cut: eight jobs for your first ten minutes
Updated October 2026
A power cut is one of the most likely disruptions most households will ever face. Most of the preparation is free and takes minutes. Do one job today, or all eight.
Do these now (nothing to buy)
Save the power cut number
Call 105 to report a power cut. It is free and works 24 hours a day. Save it in your phone now. In Northern Ireland you can also call NIE Networks on 03457 643 643.
Find your fuse box
Know where your fuse box or consumer unit is. If only your own home has lost power, a tripped switch may be the cause, and it is worth checking before you assume it is a wider outage.
Put a torch where you can find it in the dark
Keep one in a place you can reach without light, such as a kitchen drawer or by your bed. Use torches rather than candles, which are a fire risk.
Charge a power bank, and keep your phone topped up
Your phone is your light, your alerts and your link to other people. Broadband and cordless landline phones usually stop working in a power cut, and mobile signal can be patchy. A charged power bank gives you several extra charges. If bad weather is forecast, charge everything beforehand.
Sort some water
Find your stopcock (the tap that turns off your water, often under the kitchen sink) and check that it turns. For now, fill a few clean bottles or containers. Our water guide explains how much to keep and how to store it.
Check you have food that needs no cooking
Aim for about three days of ready-to-eat food for everyone in your home, plus a tin opener. See three days of food that needs no cooking.
Know what to do with the fridge and freezer
Keep the doors closed as much as you can. The Food Standards Agency has advice on what is safe to eat after a power cut, and it is worth reading it once before you need it.
Write key numbers on paper, and keep medicines together
Write down three important phone numbers and keep the page somewhere obvious. Keep regular medicines together, with a note of what you take. If anyone in your home relies on electrical medical equipment, ask your electricity supplier or network operator about their priority services register for vulnerable customers.
Safety: never use these indoors
Do not use barbecues, camping stoves, or petrol or diesel generators inside your home, in a garage, or anywhere without plenty of fresh air. They produce carbon monoxide, which can kill without any warning. Do not use a gas cooker to heat a room.
If you can, check on older or vulnerable neighbours.
If you decide to buy a few things
You do not need to buy anything to do the eight jobs above. If you would like a few items to make a power cut easier, here is what to look for.
- A head torch or torch: choose one that takes standard AA or AAA batteries, so you can swap in spares rather than wait to recharge.
- A power bank: as a rough guide, each 10,000 mAh gives about two full charges of a typical phone. Keep it charged, and check it every few months.
- A battery or wind-up radio: check that it picks up the stations you want, and keep spare batteries with it.
- A water container: food-grade, with a secure lid. Remember that a full 10-litre container weighs about 10 kg, so smaller ones are easier to carry.
Our 72-hour home kit checklist puts everything in one list.
Where this advice comes from
Based on the UK Government Prepare website and the Food Standards Agency. This guide is general advice for ordinary households, not a substitute for official guidance. In an emergency, call 999.