Power cuts
Light, heat, phones and food when the electricity goes off for hours or days.
How 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…
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…
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…
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:…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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