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Civilian Survival
Handbook Plan Pack · £6.99
Free check · 15 questions · 2 minutes

How ready is your home? A 2-minute check

15 quick questions, 2 minutes. Based on GOV.UK Be Ready and UKHSA advice. Nothing you answer is sent to us. You'll get a score in plain words, your three most useful free next steps, and where each one comes from.

15 questions

Question 1 of 15: Do you have 3 days of drinking water at home: 3 litres per person per day?

For 4 people that's 36 litres.

Official advice: GOV.UK Be Ready: Water supply interruptions or outages

Question 2 of 15: Do you have food for 3 days that keeps without a fridge and needs no cooking?

Tins with ring pulls, crackers, nut butter, cereal bars.

Official advice: GOV.UK Be Ready: Be ready for emergencies

Question 3 of 15: Do you have a torch with spare batteries, a battery or wind-up radio and a charged power bank?

Torches are safer than candles (Be Ready).

Official advice: GOV.UK Be Ready: Power cuts

Question 4 of 15: Do you know how to report a power cut (105, or 03457 643643 in Northern Ireland)?

Saved in your phone counts as yes.

Official advice: GOV.UK Be Ready: Power cuts

Question 5 of 15: Does everyone at home know how to turn off the water, gas and electricity?

The stop tap is usually under the kitchen sink.

Official advice: GOV.UK Be Ready: Flooding

Question 6 of 15: Do you have a written household plan with a meeting point?

Two meeting points: one near home, one further away.

Official advice: GOV.UK Be Ready: Be ready for emergencies

Question 7 of 15: Are your key phone numbers written on paper, not only in your phone?

If your phone was flat, could you still call family?

Official advice: GOV.UK Be Ready: Be ready for emergencies

Question 8 of 15: Do your phones get UK Emergency Alerts, and does everyone know what one sounds like?

A loud siren-like sound for about 10 seconds, even on silent.

Official advice: GOV.UK: Emergency Alerts

Question 9 of 15: If a nuclear or missile alert came, do you know which room in your home you'd go to?

A basement, or the middle of the building away from windows.

Official advice: UKHSA (GOV.UK): What to do in a radiation emergency, Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency (MCF): In case of crisis or war (PDF, June 2026)

Question 10 of 15: Do you know the UK advice 'go in, stay in, tune in', including how long to stay in?

UKHSA says you may need to stay in for one to two days.

Official advice: UKHSA (GOV.UK): What to do in a radiation emergency

Question 11 of 15: Do you know what to do if an air attack alert comes while you're outside?

Nearest solid building; if you can't get in, lie flat and cover your head.

Official advice: GOV.UK: Emergency Alerts, Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency (MCF): In case of crisis or war (PDF, June 2026)

Question 12 of 15: If anyone at home needs extra help (medical equipment, young children, older age), have you joined the Priority Services Register?

Free, through your energy supplier and your water company. Answer 'Yes' if no one needs it.

Official advice: The Priority Services Register, GOV.UK Be Ready: Power cuts, GOV.UK Be Ready: Water supply interruptions or outages

Question 13 of 15: Have you checked your flood risk and signed up for free flood warnings, if your area can get them?

Floodline: 0345 988 1188.

Official advice: GOV.UK Be Ready: Flooding, GOV.UK: Get flood warnings

Question 14 of 15: Do you have a working smoke alarm on every floor, tested in the last month?

Be Ready says test them at least once a month.

Official advice: GOV.UK Be Ready: Fires in the home

Question 15 of 15: Have you swapped numbers with a neighbour, and do you know who nearby might need a check-in?

Be Ready asks you to check on neighbours in a power cut.

Official advice: GOV.UK Be Ready: Power cuts

Saved on this device as you go. Nothing is sent to us.

What each result means

  • Just starting (0 to 10): You're at the start, like most UK homes. Three small jobs this week will make a real difference.
  • Good start (11 to 18): You've got some basics. Fill the gaps below and you'll be ahead of most households.
  • Well prepared (19 to 25): Your home is in good shape. A few gaps are left, and it's worth writing your plan down so everyone knows it.
  • Ready (26 to 30): You've done the work. Keep it fresh: check water dates and alarms every 6 months.
Questions

About this check

Frequently asked questions

What is this based on?

Each question comes from official advice: GOV.UK Be Ready (water, food, kit, power cuts, flooding, fires), UKHSA's advice for a radiation emergency, GOV.UK Emergency Alerts, and, for air attacks only, the Swedish civil defence guide, because the UK has no public air-raid leaflet. Each question links to its source, and the sources list shows the date we read each one.

How is the score worked out?

Yes is 2 points, Partly is 1 and Not yet is 0, so the score is out of 30. 0 to 10 is Just starting, 11 to 18 Good start, 19 to 25 Well prepared and 26 to 30 Ready. It's a rough guide to help you pick your next step, not an official rating.

Is anything I answer sent to you?

No. The check runs in your browser. Your answers are saved only on this device so you can come back to them, and Start again clears them. If you choose to get the free Alert Action Card by email, we receive your email address, your band, your score and your weakest area, and nothing else.

Is this an official GOV.UK quiz?

No. Civilian Survival Handbook is an independent UK site. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the UK Government. We recommend reading beready.campaign.gov.uk too.

What happened to the 10-question readiness quiz?

This check replaces it. It has the same Be Ready questions plus five more on alerts, where to shelter and how long to stay in. The old address brings you here.

Sources

We read every page below on the date shown. Official advice changes, so if anything here doesn't match the source, the source is right. Tell us and we'll fix it.

  1. GOV.UK Be Ready: Be ready for emergencies, read 29 October 2026
  2. GOV.UK Be Ready: Water supply interruptions or outages, read 3 November 2026
  3. GOV.UK Be Ready: Power cuts, read 3 November 2026
  4. GOV.UK Be Ready: Flooding, read 3 November 2026
  5. GOV.UK Be Ready: Fires in the home, read 3 November 2026
  6. GOV.UK: Emergency Alerts, read 3 November 2026
  7. UKHSA (GOV.UK): What to do in a radiation emergency, read 3 November 2026
  8. Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency (MCF): In case of crisis or war (PDF, June 2026), read 2 November 2026
  9. The Priority Services Register, read 29 October 2026
  10. GOV.UK: Get flood warnings, read 29 October 2026

Civilian Survival Handbook is an independent UK site. This is not an official GOV.UK tool. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the UK Government or any organisation we cite.