Being Ready for a Power Cut or Storm

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Being Ready for a Power Cut or Storm

What to have in, keeping warm and fed, generators and carbon monoxide, and staying informed

Storm-related outages have become more common, and being prepared takes an afternoon and very little money.

What to have in

Torches and spare batteries rather than candles, a battery or wind-up radio, power banks kept charged, warm layers and blankets, bottled water, and food that needs no cooking. A first aid kit and any medication in one known place.

Keep a paper list of important phone numbers, since a dead phone takes your contacts with it.

Heating and food safety

A fridge keeps food safe for around four hours unopened and a full freezer for around a day, so leave both shut. Gas hobs with a manual ignition still work; electric ovens do not.

Close curtains, shut unused rooms and layer clothing rather than trying to heat the house.

Generators and carbon monoxide

Never run a petrol or diesel generator, a barbecue or a camping stove indoors, in a garage, a conservatory or near windows. Carbon monoxide has no smell and kills, and it is the most common serious harm after an outage.

A battery power station is safe indoors and is why they have replaced small generators for most households.

Staying informed

Report a cut to the network operator rather than your supplier, and check whether neighbours are affected. Register for priority services if anyone in the house relies on powered medical equipment.

Charging and devices

Keep power banks topped up rather than flat in a drawer, since lithium cells self-discharge. A battery power station recharges phones, a router and lights for days and runs safely indoors.

Work out what you actually need running — a fridge, a router, lights and phones is a modest load; heating is not.

Water and storms

Store a few litres of drinking water, and fill the bath if a supply interruption is forecast. Bring in or secure anything in the garden that could blow about.

After a storm

Never touch fallen cables and report them immediately. Check on neighbours who live alone.

A written plan

Agree where the family meets if phones are down, who checks on elderly relatives, and where the stopcock, fuse box and torch live. Write it on paper and put it somewhere everyone knows.

Keep some cash at home, since card terminals and cash machines need power.

Compensation

Automatic compensation applies in the UK for outages beyond set durations, paid by the network operator rather than the supplier. Keep a note of when the power went and came back.

Check torches and alarms twice a year when the clocks change.

Afterwards

Check freezer contents before refreezing anything, and reset heating and alarm clocks.

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