A practical UK household guide
A power cut, water outage or spell of severe weather can turn an ordinary week upside down. This free checklist helps you make a sensible plan with the things you already own, then fill any gaps gradually.
Start with the ordinary things
There is no need to buy a specialist box or clear a supermarket shelf. A torch that works, a charged phone bank, familiar food and a few phone numbers written on paper can make a difficult day much easier.
In October 2026, the UK government's Be Ready campaign encouraged households to prepare for three days of disruption. We have taken that sensible starting point and made a seven day worksheet for people who want a longer plan. Seven days is our planning choice, not a government requirement.
Use this page to check what is already in your cupboards. Keep supplies where you can find them in the dark, review dates during your normal shopping, and make sure everyone at home knows the plan.
Household supplies calculator
Choose your household size for a simple seven day estimate. The figures are a starting point, not a fixed rule for every person or pet.
The UK government's Be Ready guidance recommends 3 litres per person per day for drinking, with more needed for other tasks. This calculator also shows an illustrative 10 litres per person per day in total. That larger figure is a planning example, not the government's household storage target, and it already includes the drinking water. Meal portions assume three simple meals per person per day. Pet water needs vary. For a more adaptable estimate and safe storage advice, use our emergency water guide.
Interactive 7 day checklist
Tick an item when it is ready. Your ticks stay in this browser only, so there is no account or form to submit. The optional items below are there for households that need them.
A sensible UK shopping guide
Check cupboards, drawers and medicine boxes before buying anything. These are examples of places to look, not endorsements or a list of products you must purchase. Prices and stock change, so choose what suits your household and budget.
Wondering which tins to choose or how to make meals if you cannot cook? Our UK emergency food supplies guide goes through familiar foods, portions and storage dates in more detail.
Why: Tap water may be unavailable or unsafe during some outages.
Practical choice: Sealed drinking water stored as the label directs and rotated before its best before date. Our water storage guide explains where to keep it and how much to plan.
Where: Your usual supermarket, including Tesco's water range.
Why: A power cut can make cooking and chilled storage difficult.
Practical choice: Tinned beans, fish, fruit and other ready to eat food. Include a manual opener and the foods needed for allergies or special diets.
Where: Your normal food shop or Tesco's cupboard food range.
Why: A torch is easier to carry and safer than a candle when the lights fail.
Practical choice: Test the torch you already have. A battery model with spare batteries works even when there is no way to recharge it.
Where: Hardware shops, Argos torches or Screwfix torches.
Why: Mobile batteries run down quickly when you need updates and contact details.
Practical choice: Charge an existing power bank, keep the right cable with it, and check a battery or wind up radio still works.
Where: Electronics shops such as Argos; check home first.
Why: Small injuries and a water outage are easier to manage with familiar supplies.
Practical choice: Check dressings, plasters, wipes and hand sanitiser. Replace used or expired items rather than buying a second full kit.
Where: Local pharmacies or Boots first aid supplies.
Why: Regular medicines, baby feeding, pet food and medical equipment cannot be replaced by a generic kit.
Practical choice: Speak to your pharmacist or equipment provider about continuity. Keep your usual supplies organised and note when they need replacing.
Where: Your regular pharmacy, supplier or pet shop.
For food kept in a fridge or freezer during a power cut, follow the Food Standards Agency's current advice. Never use a barbecue or other outdoor cooking equipment indoors; the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service explains the carbon monoxide risk.
Go straight to the source
These links open the organisations that issue or maintain the information. ChatFriends does not copy warning statuses onto this page, because a copied status could be out of date when you need it.
See the latest warning map, affected areas and valid times on the Met Office website.
Open Met Office UK warningsChoose the service for your nation and check the date and area shown by that service.
Read current UK government alerts and advice on the official service.
Open GOV.UK Emergency AlertsIn England, Scotland and Wales, call 105 to reach your electricity network operator. In Northern Ireland, call NIE Networks on 03457 643643.
Read official power cut adviceSource links reviewed by ChatFriends on . That is the review date of these links, not a timestamp for current conditions. Always use the date and time displayed by the official service itself. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.
Free printable household plan
Print this page and write in the details you would need if your phone had no charge or the internet was down. Leave sensitive account numbers off copies that might be shared.
Estimate for 1 person: 21 L drinking water, 70 L illustrative total water and 21 simple meal portions for seven days.
Emergency: 999Power cut in England, Scotland or Wales: 105Power cut in Northern Ireland: 03457 643643
Keep this sheet somewhere easy to find. The handwritten details stay with you; ChatFriends does not collect them.
Your browser's Print command works too. The print layout omits the shopping and website sections.
Common questions
No. The Be Ready campaign launched in October 2026 with advice focused on three days of disruption. This seven day worksheet is a ChatFriends extension for households that want to plan further ahead. Start with three days if that is manageable for you.
The government's Be Ready checklist recommends 3 litres per person per day for drinking for three days, plus more for other tasks. Seven days is an optional extension. Use our water calculator and storage guide for your household size, and plan separately for babies, pets and medical needs.
No. Check what you already have, then add useful items to normal shops when you can. Rotate food you enjoy eating and test batteries and power banks every so often. A small working kit is better than an expensive one nobody has checked.
Ask your pharmacist, prescriber or equipment provider how you can plan for an interruption. Keep instructions and important contact numbers on paper. Your electricity or water provider may also offer extra support through a Priority Services Register.
Sources and review
Written by ChatFriends and reviewed against the following official sources on . Government and emergency guidance can change, so follow current instructions from the relevant authority.
Once your own household has a plan, a quick check in with a neighbour or friend can make a real difference. ChatFriends is a place for everyday company and conversation, not an emergency warning service.