Home safety
Gas, electricity, glass, fire and carbon monoxide: keeping the house safe when things go wrong.
Making 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…
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…
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:…
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 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 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