Be Prepared: 10 Tips for Managing a Power Cut in the UK

Power strikes create significant disruptions in daily life, potentially threatening our safety and comfort. Blackouts can be caused by severe weather, infrastructure issues, planned maintenance, or other situations, and it’s crucial to remain prepared, as they can happen at any time. 

Preparation will keep you and your family safe while minimising the interruptions in our lives during blackouts. Below, find a comprehensive guide with the best ten tips to help you manage outages with peace of mind.

How To Prepare for a Power Cut In the UK

Preparation starts with you. You can insulate yourself and your family from the impacts of a sudden power cut in the UK by developing a well-thought-out plan and collecting certain essential items. Here are our ten biggest tips to prepare for UK power outages.

Create an Emergency Lighting Plan

Lighting is one of the most considerable losses during a power cut. During the daytime, the loss of indoor lighting may not be a massive disruption, but as soon as the sun goes down, an unlit home can quickly become dangerous. Avoid these risks by creating an emergency lighting plan to keep your home well-lit and visible. 

Consider picking up some battery-powered flashlights, LED torches, or lanterns. You should avoid relying on open flames, such as candles, as they pose fire risks. Place one flashlight or lantern in each room and ensure your family knows where to find them. Create a simple map of their locations, including any storage spaces.

Plan to keep one central light in the house plugged in and turned “on”, so you’ll be alerted once power has been restored.

Find Reliable Backup Power

You don’t have to be entirely out of luck when the grid goes down if you have a backup power solution like EcoFlow Portable Power Stations or EcoFlow DELTA Series Solar Generators on hand. 

This equipment allows you to continue running essential appliances and devices without electricity. The EcoFlow DELTA Series Portable Power Stations offer robust energy storage that you can plug into and use anytime you lose power. 

You can use these solutions to power your phones, refrigerator, and essential medical equipment until your grid electricity returns.

Protect Food and Appliances

Perishable food is on a timeline of freshness as soon as the power goes out. Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors shut to preserve it as long as possible. A full, unopened freezer can maintain its temperature for 48 hours, although each door opening can drastically reduce that time. You can also optimise cold retention by packing your freezer efficiently and filling open spaces with water bottles to maintain temperature.

Preserving your appliances should also be a top priority. When the grid finally comes back on, there may be a surge of electricity, which can damage your sensitive electronics. Unplug lights, TVs, computers, and gaming systems to avoid damage from a surge when the grid returns. You can even install surge protectors to protect valuable electronics even more.

Maintain Communication

Create a robust communication plan for blackouts so you’re always ready. Keep your cell phone charged and ensure you have a few fully charged power banks. Create a physical list of important phone numbers in case your phone battery dies. Your list should include numbers for your Distribution Network Operator, local emergency services, and family contacts. 

You should also download your electricity provider’s app or sign up for text alerts for updates on progress and restoration.

As a fail-safe, consider getting a battery-powered or hand-crank radio to listen to emergency broadcasts.

Ensure your family knows how to contact one another or an external emergency contact if they’re separated during a power cut.

Prepare a Food Plan

You should have food set aside for these instances beyond what you’re trying to keep fresh in your fridge and freezer. Considering you won’t have electricity access, ensure your emergency foods don’t require refrigeration or heating. Some ideas include nuts, protein bars, dried fruit, crackers, cereal, and canned goods (but don’t forget a can opener). 

Pack a three-day supply of food for each family member into storage-safe containers. You will also need clean drinking water—at least 4 litres per day per person. Get more for pets and other hygienic purposes. If you have gas, you may be able to cook some food using gas power; however, gas lines may be cut or damaged, so you shouldn’t rely on that. 

Check on your emergency food stash regularly to remove expired goods and replace them as needed.

Register for Priority Services If Needed

If you have medical needs, young children, or are elderly, you can sign up for your network operator’s Priority Services Register to receive extra support during outages. Benefits include priority updates, dedicated phone assistance, and emergency help during prolonged cuts.

Plan for Medical Equipment

If someone in your family relies on electrical medical equipment, know their wattage requirements and consider having a dedicated power station for critical medical devices. You can even talk to your healthcare provider about emergency protocols and create a plan for each piece of equipment. 

For extended outages, consider investing in the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 Solar Generator (PV400W) or the EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max Solar Generator (PV400W), which can generate new energy by capturing sunlight through their connected solar panels.

Maintain Warmth

Most heating systems require electricity, and an extended outage during a cold month can quickly become challenging as you struggle to keep warm. Develop a multi-layered approach to staying warm indoors, including thermal blankets, warm layers, hot water bottles, and even battery-powered heated blankets or pads. 

Find the warmest rooms in the house and prepare to live in these areas during an extended power cut. Additions like thermal curtains and draft stoppers can also help prevent cold air from coming in and warm air from escaping.

Know Your Network Operator

Build a strong understanding of your local power support systems. Identify your Distribution Network Operator (DNO) and save their contact details in multiple places. You should also know that the universal power cut number in the UK is 105.

You can stay informed on expected restoration times if you learn to use your DNO’s reporting systems and status update platforms.

Having your DNO’s information will also make claiming compensation for an outage easier.

Practice Your Safety Protocols

A true emergency shouldn’t be the first time you run through your safety protocols. Once your plan is fully fleshed out, catch your family up to speed and run drills to ensure everyone knows what to do. Provide each person with a role, determine meeting points, and review communication strategies. 

These practice efforts will provide peace of mind that your plan will go smoothly in a real emergency.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Power cuts are unavoidable, and while we can’t control them, we can prepare for them. UK residents should use the above guide to plan ahead and create the kits and protocols needed for a smooth blackout whenever it occurs. 

Remember—the best way to avoid a total effective blackout is to invest in your own power supply via EcoFlow DELTA Series Solar Generators.