Power cut checklist: How to prepare your household – Deltron

A power cut can last a few minutes, several hours or, during severe weather and major disruption, considerably longer.

Suddenly, the things you normally take for granted may no longer work. Lights go out, Wi-Fi disappears, phones can no longer be charged and electrically powered heating, cooking or medical equipment may be affected.

A little preparation can make a power cut much easier to manage.
Use this practical power cut checklist to prepare your household before the lights go out.

Before a power cut

Lighting

☐ Keep at least one reliable torch in an easy-to-find location
☐ Have additional torches available for different household members or rooms
☐ Keep a head torch available for hands-free lighting
☐ Check that all torches work
☐ Keep suitable spare batteries
☐ Check whether your emergency radio has a built-in torch

Don't rely entirely on your mobile phone for lighting. Its battery may become important for communication and information.
Useful equipment: GP torches, GP head torches and emergency radios with built-in torches.

Information

☐ Keep a battery-powered or wind-up emergency radio available
☐ Check how your emergency radio works before you need it
☐ Keep spare batteries with the radio
☐ Know which radio services provide useful news and information in your area
☐ Follow official weather and emergency information when severe weather is expected

An emergency radio provides an alternative way of receiving information when your television, Wi-Fi or other mains-powered equipment isn't available.
Useful equipment: Midland ER300 Pro and other emergency radios.

Phones and backup power

☐ Keep mobile phones charged when severe weather is forecast
☐ Charge your power banks
☐ Keep charging cables together
☐ Keep spare batteries for compatible equipment
☐ Familiarise yourself with alternative charging functions on your emergency equipment

Some emergency radios provide USB, solar or hand-crank charging functions. Always check the capabilities of the specific model.

Communication

☐ Write down important telephone numbers
☐ Agree how household members will contact each other
☐ Decide on a meeting point if communications fail
☐ Check suitable two-way radios if your household has a need for direct radio-to-radio communication
☐ Make sure everybody who may use a two-way radio knows the basic controls

PMR446 two-way radios can communicate directly between compatible radios without depending on home Wi-Fi or a mobile phone network.
Actual range depends heavily on terrain, buildings and surrounding conditions.
Useful equipment: suitable Midland and Motorola PMR446 two-way radios.

Food, water and warmth

☐ Keep drinking water available
☐ Keep food that doesn't require refrigeration or electric cooking
☐ Have a manual tin opener if required
☐ Keep blankets and warm clothing accessible
☐ Consider how a power cut affects your heating system
☐ Consider the needs of babies, elderly people and pets

Medical needs

☐ Keep essential medication accessible
☐ Know which medical equipment depends on electricity
☐ Have an appropriate backup plan for essential electrically powered medical equipment
☐ Keep important medical and emergency telephone numbers on paper
Seek appropriate professional advice where a medical device or treatment depends on electricity.

When the power goes out

☐ Find your torch rather than immediately using your phone as a light
☐ Check whether the power cut affects only your property or a wider area
☐ Follow information from your electricity network operator and official authorities where available
☐ Use your emergency radio when other information sources aren't available
☐ Preserve mobile phone battery power
☐ Use power banks carefully rather than unnecessarily charging every device
☐ Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible
☐ Check on vulnerable household members
☐ Check on nearby relatives or neighbours where safe and appropriate
☐ Keep pets indoors or secure where circumstances require it

During an extended power cut

If the outage continues, think in terms of priorities.

Light

Use dedicated torches and head torches rather than unnecessarily draining phone batteries.

Information

Listen for reliable information and official instructions.

Communication

Conserve phone battery power. Use alternative communication equipment appropriately where available.

Power

Prioritise essential devices.

Food

Avoid repeatedly opening refrigerators and freezers.

Warmth

Keep doors closed where practical, use warm clothing and blankets and concentrate activity in suitable areas of the home.
Never use equipment intended for outdoor cooking or heating indoors unless the manufacturer explicitly states that it is safe for indoor use.

People

Pay particular attention to babies, elderly people, anyone with medical requirements and people who may need help moving around in the dark.

When the power returns

☐ Check that essential appliances are functioning normally
☐ Recharge phones and power banks
☐ Recharge rechargeable emergency equipment
☐ Replace any batteries you used
☐ Check food safety after an extended outage
☐ Reset clocks and essential equipment where necessary
☐ Replenish food, water or other emergency supplies used
☐ Ask yourself what you wished you had during the outage

That last question is particularly useful. Every real power cut can teach you something about your household preparedness.

Power cut essentials at a glance

☐ Torch
☐ Head torch
☐ Spare batteries
☐ Emergency radio
☐ Mobile phone
☐ Power bank
☐ Charging cables
☐ Drinking water
☐ Ready-to-eat food
☐ Medication
☐ Warm clothing and blankets
☐ Written emergency contacts
☐ Two-way radios where appropriate