For UK homes · 72 hours · Built on GOV.UK Prepare
The power's gone.
Your plan hasn't.
Storms, floods and power cuts don't give notice. A 72-hour kit keeps the essentials in one place, so the first hour is calm, not a hunt for batteries in the dark.
The plan
This isn't survivalism. It's being sorted.
You don't need to buy everything today. Gather what you already own, spot the gaps, and keep one bag where everyone can find it. Your kit should fit your household, not a film plot.
Something cuts out
Power, phone signal or water stops. Reach for a torch, not a candle, and check official updates for your area.
Find your bag
Water, regular medication, a radio, a charged power bank and copies of documents. All together, all easy to reach.
You've bought time
Three days of breathing space while services come back or you get instructions. No panic buying required.
No kit makes every home self-sufficient. In an emergency, follow the emergency services and official advice. Call 999 if life is at risk. Call 105 to report or get updates on a power cut in England, Scotland and Wales.
Readiness check · 1 minute
How ready is your home right now?
Tick what you already have. Under each item is the share of UK adults who said they had it in the Cabinet Office's 2025 survey of 10,536 people.
The kit, without the hype
Six things. Most of them already in your cupboards.
Check what you own before buying anything. Each link opens an Amazon.co.uk search, and the budget is a guide for planning, not a live price.
Water
Bottled water for everyone at home, about 3 litres per person per day. Keep it dark and cool, and rotate it every six months.
Light
An LED torch with spare batteries, or a wind-up one that never runs flat. One per person is ideal. Candles are a fire risk.
Power and news
A charged power bank, the right cables, and a battery or wind-up radio for news when phones and broadband drop.
First aid
A home first aid kit, a week of regular medication, and anything babies, older relatives or pets will need.
Food
Tins and long-life food you already like, with allergies in mind. Rotate it into your weekly shop and keep a tin opener with it.
Documents and cash
Copies of ID and insurance, key numbers on paper, some cash, and a waterproof pouch to keep it all dry.
How much water does your home need?
A planning guide of about 3 litres per person per day for drinking and simple cooking, plus 1 litre per pet. Store extra for washing if you have room.
About 9 two-litre bottles
Kits by situation
Pick your situation. Start with what's missing.
The 72-hour home kit is the place to start, and its full checklist is ready. The other kits open a focused Amazon search while their checklists are being written.
72-Hour Home Kit
Everything on the GOV.UK Prepare list as a checklist you can tick. It saves your progress and works out what's left to buy.
Leave home in 5 minutes
Medication, documents, torch, water and chargers, packed by the door.
Life without the grid
Light, warmth, phone charging and safe cooking for hours or days.
Protect your home
Door barriers, self-inflating sandbags, air brick covers and a plan for valuables.
Before the named storm
What to tie down, what to charge, and what to keep in reach on amber warnings.
Staying warm safely
Layers, blankets, hot-water bottles and a carbon monoxide alarm.
Stuck on the motorway
Scraper, de-icer, blanket, torch, shovel, jump starter and snacks.
A week of margin
Water, a rotating pantry and a camping stove for outdoor use.
Feeding and warmth
Ready-to-feed formula, nappies and sterilising without electricity.
Vulnerable relatives
Medication lists, warmth, and the Priority Services Register.
Don't forget the dog
Food, water, records, a carrier and a recent photo for ID.
When phones go quiet
Licence-free PMR446 radios and a wind-up DAB/FM set.
Keeping cool indoors
Blackout blinds, fans and cooling towels for homes that hold heat.
When the weather turns
Map, compass, whistle, bivvy bag and spare layers.
How big a battery?
Sizing for a fridge, router and lights, with solar options.
Why now
Most UK homes aren't ready. Yet.
Source: Cabinet Office, UK Public Survey of Risk Perception, Resilience and Preparedness 2025. Fieldwork March to April 2025, 10,536 adults.
Your area
Know your risks before the warning comes.
Flood services are run separately in each nation. Sign up for free warnings once and they come to your phone.
Northern Ireland
Weather warnings for the whole UK: Met Office warnings and advice.
Common questions
Straight answers.
What is a 72-hour emergency kit?
A set of supplies (water, food that keeps, light, a radio, first aid and copies of documents) that lets your household manage on its own for three days during a power cut, flood or other disruption. The UK government's Prepare campaign encourages every home to keep one and build it up over time. Open the full checklist →
Isn't this a bit extreme?
No. Most of it is a torch, a radio, some tins and a few bottles of water, kept in one place. It's the same thinking as a first aid kit or a spare key. The point is a calm first hour, not a bunker.
Where do I start if I have nothing?
Water, a torch, a radio and a first aid kit. Then work through the 72-hour checklist, which shows what's left to buy and roughly what it costs.
How much water should I store?
A common planning figure is about 3 litres per person per day for drinking and simple cooking. For three days, a family of four needs about 36 litres. Rotate stored water every six months and keep it out of direct sunlight. Try the water calculator.
What should I do in the first 30 minutes of a power cut?
Check if neighbours are affected, call 105 for updates, switch on a battery or wind-up radio, unplug sensitive appliances, use torches rather than candles, and save your phone battery. Keep the fridge and freezer closed.
How do I cook without power?
Choose food you can eat cold: tins, crackers, nuts, cereal bars. If you use a camping stove, only use it outdoors or somewhere very well ventilated, and fit a carbon monoxide alarm. Never use a barbecue or gas heater indoors.
How much does a 72-hour kit cost?
Buying every essential new for two people comes to about £130 to £270. Most homes already own half of it, so the real cost is usually much lower. The checklist adds up only what you still need.
Coming soon
From the readiness journal
Portable power station or generator for a UK home?
Noise, fumes, running costs and what each can actually power during a winter outage.
Flood barriers for doors, compared
Which barriers seal properly, which are worth the money, and what insurers ask about.
The GOV.UK Prepare list, item by item
Why each thing is on the list and the easiest way to tick it off.
The next step is a small one
Be the lit window on your street.
Gather what you already own tonight. Fill the gaps this week. No scare stories and no blind buying, just a kit that fits your home.