How to Prepare for a Power Cut: A UK Home Checklist

Image source: Power-Cut Ready Zoom LED Torch product listing, Murbick.

When Storm Arwen hit in November 2021, nearly 1 million homes in Britain lost power, and nearly 4,000 of them were without electricity for more than a week (Ofgem, June 2022). Most power cuts are far shorter than that, but every one goes better when the torch is where you expect it, your phone is charged, and you know who to call.

This guide walks through five things to sort out before the winter storms arrive, then what to do in the first hour after the lights go out. It is built on the UK Government's Be Ready emergency guidance, the Food Standards Agency, the NHS and the fire service, with the products we stock for each job linked along the way.

Key Takeaways

• To report a power cut, call 105 for free in England, Scotland and Wales, or use your network operator's website. In Northern Ireland the number is 03457 643643 (Be Ready).
• The government's Be Ready campaign suggests planning for 3 days, including 3 litres of drinking water per person per day, a torch, a battery or wind-up radio and a charged power bank.
• Torches are safer than candles. Never use a barbecue, camping stove or generator indoors because of the carbon monoxide risk (Be Ready, NHS).
• Keep the fridge and freezer shut. A fridge should stay cold for up to 4 hours, and a full freezer for up to 48 hours (Food Standards Agency).

In this article:

• Step 1: Save 105 and Know Who Fixes Your Power
• Step 2: Build a Three-Day Power Cut Kit
• Step 3: Light the House With Torches, Not Candles
• Step 4: Keep Your Phone and Landline Working
• Step 5: Plan How to Stay Warm Without Carbon Monoxide Risk
• What to Do When the Power Goes Off
• Is the Food in Your Fridge and Freezer Still Safe?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Get Ready Before the First Storm
• About This Guide
• Sources

Step 1: Save 105 and Know Who Fixes Your Power

The number to remember is 105. Be Ready advises households to "write down the phone number to report a power cut – this is 105". If you cannot report the cut online, you can "call 105 for free in England, Wales and Scotland". For Northern Ireland, the same page gives 03457 643643 (Be Ready: power cuts).

The call does not go to the company that sends your electricity bill. Ofgem explains that 105 "will put you through to your electricity network operator", the company that looks after the cables and substations in your area (Ofgem). The network operator is the one restoring power, so its website is also where you can report the cut and follow updates.

Before winter, do three small things:

• Save 105 in your phone and write it on paper by the fuse box or on the fridge, in case your phone is flat.
• Find your network operator's website and bookmark its power cut map.
• Find your fuse box and your gas and water stopcocks. Be Ready's checklist asks every household to "know how to turn off your gas, electricity and water".

Step 2: Build a Three-Day Power Cut Kit

A power cut kit is a box of essentials kept in one place, so nobody has to search drawers in the dark. Be Ready recommends planning for three days because "being ready for 3 days helps you manage while support reaches those most in need" (Be Ready).

Source: Lights-Out Wind-Up Emergency Radio product listing, Murbick.

The table below sorts the items on the government's checklist by what they do in a power cut.

Add the extras your household needs. Be Ready lists baby formula, nappies and wipes, and pet food and water for pets. Check the kit when the clocks go back each October: test the torch, top up the power bank and swap anything near its date.

Be Ready lists a battery or wind-up radio, and it is easy to overlook. Our Lights-Out Wind-Up Emergency Radio picks up AM and FM and has five power options: hand crank, solar panel, USB, AAA batteries and its built-in battery. It also has a 2000mAh power bank, a torch and a reading lamp. The smaller Storm-Ready Hand-Crank Solar Emergency Radio adds shortwave; one minute of winding gives up to 20 minutes of radio, according to its specification.

Step 3: Light the House With Torches, Not Candles

A battery or rechargeable torch is the safer choice of light in a power cut. Be Ready says plainly that "torches are safer than candles". It also warns against relying on your phone's torch, because it "will drain its batteries more quickly" (Be Ready: power cuts). Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue gave the same advice during Storm Eunice: use "torches or battery-powered lights rather than candles" (DSFRS, February 2022).

If you do use candles, London Fire Brigade says to "never leave candles, incense sticks and oil burners unattended" and to keep them in heat-resistant holders on a stable surface. Better still, it notes that "flameless LED candles are a much safer alternative to real candles or tea lights" (London Fire Brigade).

A practical set-up is one light for each job:

• A torch for moving around. Keep one in a fixed spot, such as the kitchen drawer or by the front door. The Power-Cut Ready Zoom LED Torch is listed at up to 2000 lumens and rated IP65 for rain, which helps if you need to check outside.
• A head torch for jobs. Resetting the fuse box or cooking on a camping stove outdoors is easier with both hands free. The Hands-Free Wide-Beam Rechargeable Head Torch charges by USB-C.
• A lantern for the room. A lantern lights a whole table, where a torch only lights a spot. The Tangle-Free Rechargeable String Camping Lantern runs for up to 8 hours on a full charge and can top up a phone.
• Cordless lamps you already use. A rechargeable table lamp keeps working when the mains goes off. The Warm-Glow Cordless Marble Touch Lamp has its own battery, so it keeps glowing on the bedside table. For more ideas, see our home lighting guide to table lamps, wall lights and outdoor lights.

The table compares the lights and radios mentioned in this guide, using the specifications from our own product listings.

For a power cut, the useful mix is one light that runs on batteries you can swap, so it never needs charging, and one rechargeable light that can also top up a phone. Rechargeable lights only help if they are charged, so add them to your autumn kit check.

Step 4: Keep Your Phone and Landline Working

Your mobile phone is how you report the cut, check updates and reach family, so treat its battery as a supply to ration. Keep a charged power bank in the kit, turn the screen brightness down, and use a torch, not the phone's light.

Landlines need more thought, because a phone that plugs into a broadband router stops working when the router loses power. Be Ready explains that if your landline will not work during a power cut, "your landline provider might offer you a free solution". That can be a battery backup that keeps the line working for at least one hour. It applies if the landline is your only way to call emergency services, or if it is connected to a telecare alarm (Be Ready: power cuts). If you have no backup, Be Ready advises calling 999 or 112 on a mobile.

If an older relative relies on a personal alarm or other health device, ask the provider now how it behaves in a power cut, not when it happens.

Step 5: Plan How to Stay Warm Without Carbon Monoxide Risk

Plan to keep warm with layers, not improvised heaters. Be Ready's advice is to "keep warm by using blankets and layered clothing" (Be Ready: power cuts). Gas boilers and electric heaters both need electricity to run, so in a long winter cut most of your warmth will come from what you wear and what you wrap up in.

The danger is bringing outdoor equipment inside. The NHS warns: "do not use a barbecue or camping stove indoors or inside a tent", and lists portable generators and gas cookers among the appliances that can produce carbon monoxide (NHS). Northern Ireland's Health and Safety Executive adds that "only equipment designed to be used indoors should be brought inside the home" (HSENI, January 2025). Carbon monoxide has no smell, so the NHS also recommends fitting a carbon monoxide alarm. Choose a battery-powered alarm, or a mains alarm with battery backup, so it keeps working in a power cut.

Before winter:

• Put spare blankets, hats and thick socks somewhere you can find them in the dark. Our guide to making a cosy home has ideas for throws and soft furnishings that do the job.
• Have a flask ready to fill with a hot drink if a storm is forecast.
• Keep a fleece or warm mid-layer near the kit, so you can add a layer straight away.

What to Do When the Power Goes Off

The first few minutes matter most. Work through this routine:

1. Check whether it's just you. If your neighbours still have power, the fault is probably in your home, so check your fuse box for a tripped switch first.
2. Switch off and unplug. Be Ready says to "turn off items such as irons, ovens, electric fires and fryers", and to "unplug your TV and PC as they can be damaged if there is a surge when power goes back on".
3. Report it. Use your network operator's website or call 105 to report the cut and get an estimated restore time.
4. Get the kit out. Put on the head torch or the lantern, switch on the radio, and save your phone battery.
5. Keep the fridge and freezer shut. Be Ready notes that keeping the doors closed "will ensure they stay cold for several hours".
6. Check on neighbours. An older neighbour or someone living alone may need a torch, a hot drink or simply a knock on the door.
7. Stay away from fallen lines. If a storm has brought cables down, keep well clear and report them. Be Ready warns that "electricity at high voltages can jump gaps with no warning".
8. When the power comes back. Plug your TV and computer back in, reset any clocks and timers, recharge your lights and power bank, then check your fridge and freezer food using the guidance below.

Is the Food in Your Fridge and Freezer Still Safe?

For a short cut, your food is almost certainly fine. The Food Standards Agency says that "if the power outage is for less than 4 hours this is unlikely to impact the safety of food in chilled or frozen storage" (FSA, Food safety in a power cut, July 2023).

The FSA gives these estimates for appliances that stay closed:

• Fridge: "should stay cold for up to 4 hours".
• Full freezer: should stay frozen "for up to 48 hours".
• Half-full freezer: about 24 hours.

For longer cuts, the FSA's rule turns on 8°C: chilled food that has been at 8°C or above for more than 4 hours should not be eaten. That covers use-by food, food labelled "keep refrigerated" and cooked leftovers, which the FSA says to throw away. A cheap fridge thermometer tells you when the 4 hours started. If you are unsure about a particular food, check the FSA guidance before eating it. In cold weather, the FSA says, "if the weather is cold (below 8°C), you can store food outside", in a sealed box out of the sun.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who do I call in a power cut?

Call 105 for free in England, Scotland and Wales, or report it on your network operator's website. In Northern Ireland, Be Ready gives the number 03457 643643. Your electricity supplier, the company on your bill, does not fix the network.

Do I get compensation for a long power cut?

If a cut lasts many hours, you may be entitled to an automatic payment from your network operator. Ofgem explains the current rules and amounts.

Is it safe to cook on a camping stove during a power cut?

Only outdoors. The NHS says never to use a barbecue or camping stove indoors or inside a tent, because of the carbon monoxide risk. Plan for food that needs no cooking, and use a flask for hot drinks.

Get Ready Before the First Storm

A power cut is far easier to manage when the basics are already in place: 105 saved, a three-day kit in one spot, torches charged, warm layers ready and the fridge left shut. An hour this weekend covers most of it. Check the kit again each autumn when the clocks go back.

If your kit is missing a light or a radio, browse our outdoors collection for emergency radios and torches, or the lighting collection for cordless lamps that do double duty.

About This Guide

This guide was written by the Murbick team. Murbick is a UK home and outdoor shop. The safety advice comes from the official sources listed below, and we checked each quote and link against them on 26 October 2026.

We sell some of the products mentioned, and their details come from our own product listings. To ask a question or report something out of date, use our contact page. You can read more about Murbick or see our FAQs.

Sources

• UK Government, Be Ready campaign: Be ready for emergencies and Power cuts, last visited: 26 October 2026.
• Ofgem: Full report following review of networks' response to Storm Arwen and Check if you can get a payment for a power cut, last visited: 26 October 2026.
• Food Standards Agency: Food safety in a power cut: advice for consumers, last visited: 26 October 2026.
• NHS: Carbon monoxide poisoning, last visited: 26 October 2026.
• Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland: Carbon monoxide dangers from heating appliances and generators used indoors, last visited: 26 October 2026.
• Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service: Storm Eunice safety advice, last visited: 26 October 2026.
• London Fire Brigade: Candles, last visited: 26 October 2026.
• Images: illustrative lifestyle images from Murbick's product listings. The hero is cropped from the Power-Cut Ready Zoom LED Torch listing.