The short answer
For most UK homes, a basic kit is: it's cheap, it lasts years, and it covers events that really happen. In Storm Arwen (November 2021) over one million customers lost power; about 40,000 were off for more than three days and nearly 4,000 for over a week (Ofgem). The Food Standards Agency says a fridge stays cold for about 4 hours and a full freezer about 48. A wind-up radio, head torch, batteries, power bank and first aid kit came to about £100 from our price list on 1 November 2026. Ofgem's storm payments help afterwards but start only after 24 or 48 hours of severe weather. Start with the free steps and water, then add a few items each month.
The question
"Is prepping worth it?" usually means: is it worth spending money on something that might never happen? Here are the sums, using real UK events and checked prices. No predictions.
What one bad week looked like: Storm Arwen
Storm Arwen hit on 26 November 2021. Ofgem's review found:
- Over one million customers lost power.
- 82% were reconnected within 24 hours.
- About 40,000 were without power for more than three days.
- Nearly 4,000 were off for over a week.
People off for 48 hours or more told Ofgem's researchers about cold homes, especially older or poorly insulated ones, and some had no water because their supply relied on an electric pump.
And Spain and Portugal: on 28 April 2025 the whole Iberian grid went down. Spain's grid operator says 99.95% of demand was back by 7am the next morning. Our hour-by-hour post covers what the UK plans for in a national blackout.
What a long power cut costs you
- The fridge. The Food Standards Agency says a fridge stays cold for up to 4 hours with the door shut. Once it reaches 8°C or above, chilled food with a use-by date should be thrown away after 4 hours.
- The freezer. About 48 hours if full, 24 hours if half full (FSA). After that, most of it is lost. Use our fridge and freezer timer.
- Eating out because you can't cook, buying torches and batteries at whatever the shop is charging, and a night somewhere else if the house gets too cold.
We haven't put a total on this. It depends on your freezer, your family and where you live. Look in your own freezer and add it up: for many families it's more than the kit below.
What you get back from Ofgem
Network companies pay set amounts after long cuts. Ofgem's figures:
| Situation | First payment | Then | Most you can get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal weather | £100 after 12 hours (fewer than 5,000 homes hit) or 24 hours (5,000+) | £45 per extra 12 hours | £400 if 5,000+ homes are affected |
| Severe weather, category 1 | £90 after 24 hours | £45 per extra 6 hours | £2,235 |
| Severe weather, category 2 | £90 after 48 hours | £45 per extra 6 hours | £2,235 |
Useful, but it comes after the cut, and it's a flat rate, not a refund of what you lost. During Storm Arwen, Ofgem says the companies agreed to lift the cap that applied then. Our compensation calculator works out your figure.
What a basic kit costs
These are the items on GOV.UK's Be Ready list that need buying, with examples from our checked price list (prices read 1 November 2026, not affiliate links):
| Item | Example | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Wind-up / solar FM radio | Duronic Wind-Up AM FM Radio (EVAQ8) | £26.40 |
| Head torch | Alpkit Ionic 350 (Alpkit) | £15.99 |
| Spare batteries | Duracell Plus AA, 12 pack (Amazon UK) | £8.40 |
| Power bank, 20,000 mAh | Anker Zolo 20000mAh (Anker UK) | £34.99 |
| First aid kit | St John Ambulance Home First Aid Kit (Amazon UK) | £14.49 |
| Total | £100.27 |
Add water (Be Ready: 3 litres per person per day for 3 days) and food that needs no cooking from your normal supermarket shop. Most of the kit lasts for years; the water and food you rotate into everyday use.
So, is it worth it?
For a basic kit: yes, for most homes. About £100, bought over a few months, covers the things that actually go wrong: light, news, a phone that works, first aid, and enough water and food for 3 days. That's what Be Ready asks for.
For bunkers, months of food and specialist gear: usually not. That's a different hobby. Our post on doomsday prepping vs sensible prepping explains the difference.
Start this week
- Free: write down 105 (power cuts) and your radio station frequencies, as Be Ready suggests, and sign up to the Priority Services Register if anyone at home needs extra help.
- Under £10: 2 or 3 big bottles of water and a few tins with your next shop.
- This month: a torch and batteries.
- Next month: a radio and a power bank.
If you're worried that prepping is alarmist, our post on whether preppers are scaremongering is a calm place to start.
What we couldn't check
- Prices come from our buy list, read on 1 November 2026, not re-checked today. Prices change; some sellers are marketplace sellers.
- We haven't priced food lost from a freezer or other household costs, because they vary too much to give one figure.
- Ofgem's Storm Arwen figures are for customers (meters), not people.
- Iberian blackout times are from Red Eléctrica (Spain). Portugal's grid operator wasn't checked.
What to buy
About these links: plain links to ordinary retailer pages. We may earn from some links in future; we don't now. We haven’t tested these and we don’t rank them: they are examples that were in stock when we checked. Prices change. Check what you already own first. Full kit list
Battery or wind-up FM radio
Look for: FM (Be Ready asks for FM; DAB as well is fine). Both a crank and ordinary batteries, so you have two ways to power it.
Torch or head torch, plus spare batteries
Look for: Runs on the same AA or AAA batteries as your other kit, so one spare pack covers everything. A head torch leaves both hands free.
- Alpkit Ionic 350 Lumen Head Torch · Alpkit · £15.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Intensity 155 LED Head Torch · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £19.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Alpkit Kula 550 Lumen Head Torch · Alpkit · £19.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Intensity 480 LED Hand Torch · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £29.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Dynamo Powered Wind-Up Pocket LED Torch · EVAQ8 · £3.60 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
Spare batteries
Look for: The sizes your torch, radio and alarms take. Check the date on the pack.
Power bank
Look for: From a seller you know. Check the capacity (mAh) against your phone, and that you have the right cable for each phone. Keep it charged.
First aid kit
Look for: Waterproof plasters, bandages, a thermometer, antiseptic, eyewash, sterile dressings, gloves, medical tape and tweezers.
- St John Ambulance Home First Aid Kit · St John Ambulance shop · £10.50 (price on 3 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Adventurer First Aid Kit · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £26.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Mountain First Aid Kit · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £42.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
Frequently asked questions
Is prepping worth it in the UK?
For a basic kit, yes. Long power cuts, floods and storms do happen: in Storm Arwen about 40,000 customers were without power for more than three days. A small kit of a radio, torch, batteries, power bank, first aid kit and a few days of water and food costs around £100 plus water and food, and most of it lasts years. Bunkers and long-term food stores are a different question, and most homes don't need them.
Is prepping necessary?
The government thinks a small amount is. GOV.UK's Be Ready campaign asks every household to be able to manage at home for 3 days, so that help can reach the people who need it most. It doesn't ask anyone to stockpile for months.
How long can a UK power cut last?
Most are short. But in Storm Arwen in 2021, Ofgem says 82% of customers were reconnected within 24 hours, while about 40,000 were without power for more than three days and nearly 4,000 for over a week. The National Risk Register 2026 plans for a national outage where all customers are reconnected by days 5 to 6.
Will I get compensation for a long power cut?
Usually, but not straight away and not for everything. Ofgem says in normal weather homes get £100 after 12 or 24 hours (depending on how many homes are hit) plus £45 for each further 12 hours, up to £400 if 5,000 or more homes are affected. In severe weather it's £90 after 24 hours (category 1) or 48 hours (category 2), then £45 for every further 6 hours, up to £2,235. The payment doesn't depend on what you lost.
Sources
We opened each page on the date shown. Official advice changes: if a source says something different now, follow the source.
- Ofgem: Final report on the review into the networks' response to Storm Arwen (9 June 2022, PDF) (read 2 November 2026)
- Ofgem: Check if you can get a payment after a power cut (read 2 November 2026)
- Red Eléctrica (Spain's grid operator): Red Eléctrica's response to the incident of 28 April (read 2 November 2026)
- Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK): Food safety in a power cut, advice for consumers (read 2 November 2026)
- GOV.UK Be Ready: be ready for emergencies (checklist) (read 2 November 2026)
- GOV.UK Be Ready: power cuts (read 2 November 2026)
- Cabinet Office: National Risk Register 2026 (PDF), 'National power outage' (published 14 July 2026) (read 2 November 2026)
Related guides
- Power cut kit: what to keep in one box, and how long power cuts last
- Power cut compensation UK: how much and how to claim
- Two weeks of emergency supplies: a sensible extended plan
- Fridge and freezer in a power cut: how long is food safe?
Free tools
- How ready is your home? The 2-minute Ready Check
- Power cut compensation calculator
- Fridge and freezer power cut timer (FSA times)
We're an independent UK site, not the government. We check guides against official sources and link to them. In an emergency call 999.
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