The blog
Practical posts on the emergencies UK households ask about, from power cuts and floods to war and nuclear warnings. Each one starts with the answer, cites official guidance and shows the date we read it.
Everything to buy: an emergency kit list with what to look for
Light, power, water, warmth, first aid and go bags. Specs to check, and what not to buy.
War & nuclearWhat to do if there's a nuclear attack warning in the UK
What official guidance says to do if a nuclear warning comes: go in, stay in, tune in. Which room is best, what to do if you were…
War & nuclearWhere is safer from a nuclear attack in the UK? What official sources say, and what they don't
There is no official list of safer or riskier places in the UK for a nuclear attack. Here's why, what the government has…
Home safetyMaking your home safer after a missile or drone strike nearby
What to check at home after an explosion nearby: people first, then gas, electricity, water, glass and the structure, and when to…
Go bagsHow to make a go bag: a UK checklist you can print
A printable UK go bag checklist built from GOV.UK Be Ready, the Environment Agency flood plan and Sweden's evacuation list: what…
WaterHow to make water safe to drink when the taps stop
Bottled water first, then boiling, purification tablets and filtering. The official UK bleach dose for a last resort, and water…
Power cutsHow to charge your phone in a power cut
Keep your phone going in a power cut: save battery first, then a charged power bank, the car (outdoors, never in a garage), solar…
Power cutsHow to keep warm without power, safely
Keep warm in a winter power cut without risking carbon monoxide: one warm room, layers, blankets and draught-stopping, from the…
Extreme weatherExtreme weather: storm, flood and heatwave checklists
Three short UK checklists for before, during and after a storm, a flood and a heatwave, from the Met Office, Environment Agency,…
Getting startedThe 3-day government kit: what Be Ready actually asks for, and what it misses
What the UK's Be Ready advice asks you to keep at home for 3 days, item by item, and the gaps: heat, toilets, cooking and a…
Power cutsPortable power stations: is one worth it, and what size do you need for a UK power cut?
A plain watt-hour worksheet for phones, lights, the router, CPAP and the fridge, what 300 Wh and 1,000 Wh really run, and what to…
WaterHow much water to store, and where to put it in a small flat
Be Ready's 3 litres per person per day, what that weighs, where it fits in a flat, which containers to use, and how often to…
FoodThe 7-day no-cook food box: tins that actually taste OK
A ready-made UK shopping list for a week of food that needs no fridge, no cooker and no kettle, a 7-day menu, and how to rotate…
Getting startedIs prepping scaremongering? A calm, sensible way to start
Why the UK government, Sweden and Norway now ask every household to keep a few days of supplies, why that isn't a prediction, and…
War & nuclearIodine tablets: who needs them, and why they won't help in most emergencies
What UKHSA, the US CDC and Norway say about potassium iodide: it protects only the thyroid, mainly after a nuclear reactor…
War & nuclearWhich room is safest in a UK house or flat?
Where to shelter inside a semi, terrace, bungalow or block of flats if you're told to go in and stay in: the middle of the…
Power cutsCooking without electricity: what's safe indoors and what isn't
Camping stoves, butane burners and barbecues are outdoor-only because of carbon monoxide. What you can do indoors in a power cut:…
Buying guidesWind-up and solar radios with DAB and FM: what to buy for a UK emergency
Which emergency radio to buy in the UK: FM first, DAB+ if you can, long wave no longer needed. Crank, solar and battery power…
Phones & radioWhen the mobile network goes down: how to reach your family
What fails first when power and phones go down, why to text before you call, how a family plan with check-in times and meeting…
Phones & radioYour landline in a power cut: the digital switch explained
Digital landlines need mains power, so most stop in a power cut. Who gets a free battery back-up, how long it lasts, why a corded…
Power cutsCould the UK have a Spain-style blackout? What the official plans say
What happened in Spain and Portugal on 28 April 2025, how likely a national blackout is in Great Britain, and what the…
War & nuclearIs there any point preparing for a nuclear attack? An honest answer
If you were close to a nuclear blast, no kit would help. But official guidance from the US, Sweden and the UK is built on the…
Extreme weatherHow to prepare your home for winter
A UK winter checklist from Be Ready, UKHSA, the NHS and water companies: boiler and CO alarm, frozen pipes and your stopcock,…
Getting startedCash in an emergency: how much, which notes, and where to keep it
What GOV.UK Be Ready says about emergency cash, why small notes and coins help, whether shops must take cash, old notes that are…
WaterEmergency toilets when the water stops: the bag method
What to do about the toilet when the water is off or the sewers aren't working: when you can still flush with a bucket, when you…
Buying guidesFirst-aid kit: buy one or build your own?
Ready-made or DIY first-aid kit for a UK home: what Be Ready and HSE lists include, what a basic shop kit contains and misses,…
Getting startedBuilding a medicine buffer legally: repeat prescriptions and pharmacy rules
How to keep a few days' spare of your regular medicines without breaking any rules: ordering repeats on time, what to ask your…
Power cutsSolar panels on your roof: why they switch off in a power cut, and what you can do
Why most UK rooftop solar panels stop working in a power cut, what 'island mode' and battery back-up mean, what to ask an…
Power cutsDo portable solar panels work in a UK winter?
What a 100 W folding solar panel can realistically give you in December versus June in London, Manchester and Edinburgh, using…
Extreme weatherKeeping cool in a heatwave without air conditioning
Keep a UK home cool without air con: shade sun-facing windows by day, open up at night, use fans only below 35°C, and look after…
Extreme weatherFlood ready: before, during and after a flood
If your home is at risk of flooding: sign up for free warnings in England, Wales or Scotland, know what each warning level means,…
Power cutsGenerators for home: safe use, fuel and the backfeed danger
A petrol or diesel generator must run outdoors, at least 6 metres from the house, never in a garage. Plug appliances into it…
Getting startedPrepping in a small flat on a small budget
Start prepping in a small UK flat without spending much: the free steps from GOV.UK Be Ready, the Priority Services Register,…
Go bagsThe car emergency kit for UK winters
What to keep in the car for a UK winter, from GOV.UK Be Ready and National Highways: torch, charger, blankets, hi-vis, jump…
Go bagsPets in an emergency: food, carriers, floods and fallout
A UK pet emergency list from GOV.UK Be Ready, PDSA, RSPCA and UKHSA: a week of sealed food, water, medicines, carrier, microchip…
Getting startedBabies and young children: formula, nappies and calm
Planning for a baby or toddler in a UK power cut or emergency: what the NHS says about ready-to-feed and powdered formula,…
Getting startedHelping older and disabled relatives prepare: the Priority Services Register and a check-in plan
What the Priority Services Register gives older and disabled people, how to sign up, a plan for medical equipment and telecare in…
Go bagsStay or go? How evacuation decisions are made, and what you should do
Why most UK emergency advice is to stay in, the few situations where you leave straight away, who decides on an evacuation, where…
Getting startedCoping with worry about war and the news
Calm, practical ways to live with worry about war and nuclear news: what the NHS and Sweden's crisis brochure suggest, setting…
Power cutsCyber attack on the grid or the banks: what it would mean at home
What the UK National Risk Register says a cyber attack on the electricity grid or a high-street bank could do, how long it might…
War & nuclearFallout and food: is tap water and food in the cupboard safe?
What UKHSA and US guidance say about food and water after a radiation release or nuclear explosion: food and tap water indoors,…
War & nuclearWhat Sweden, Finland and Ukraine tell their citizens, compared with the UK
A side-by-side look at Sweden's In case of crisis or war, Finland's 72-hour advice, Ukraine's shelter advice and the EU's 72-hour…
Getting startedPrepping with your neighbours: a street plan that works
What GOV.UK Be Ready asks of neighbours, how to set up a street group chat and a paper contact list, who to check on first, a…
Getting startedWhat should be in a home medicine cabinet?
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society's home medicine list, as published by the NHS, plus what to add for an emergency: repeat…
Power cutsEmergency lighting for a power cut: torches, lanterns, head torches and candles
Be Ready says torches are safer than candles. How to light a home in a power cut: a head torch each, a lantern for the room…
Power cutsCan a smart meter switch off your power remotely?
Smart meters can be switched to prepayment remotely, and suppliers can cut supply in rare cases under strict rules, the same…
How we write these posts
Official guidance first: GOV.UK Be Ready, UKHSA, the NHS, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, the Met Office and, where the UK has none, allied guidance such as Sweden's and Finland's. We give the date we read each source. We don't publish target maps or guess where attacks might happen, we don't promise anything will keep you safe, and we don't use countdowns or invented deadlines. Editorial policy · RSS feed