UK energy networks issue annual Get Winter Ready safety advice

The Energy Networks Association (ENA), the industry body representing the energy networks, published its annual winter safety advice on 1 November 2026¹. The campaign follows the Government's wider Be Ready household resilience campaign, which the ENA says joined the energy networks in encouraging everyone eligible to sign up for the free Priority Services Register (PSR)¹. The Government's Be Ready advice was published on 22 October 2026 as the first stage of a three-year campaign².

The PSR provides additional help to those with young families, elderly and disabled customers and those with long-term medical conditions or additional needs, in the event of planned engineering work, routine faults or storms disrupting power¹. The ENA states that the service cannot exempt properties from potential power cuts but aims to provide extra information and support to those who need it¹. Households can sign up by contacting their energy supplier and network operator on freephone 105, and the ENA advises keeping supplier or network operator details updated if circumstances change¹. The Government describes the PSR as a service that helps gas, water and electricity companies identify customers that may need extra support in an emergency².

The ENA's key messages for the campaign this year are Prepare, Care and Share¹. Under Prepare, it advises going online to report a power cut or calling 105, the free power cut emergency number, and keeping a mobile phone and power bank, if you have one, fully charged¹. Under Care, it advises checking on neighbours, family and friends to make sure they have a plan if they have a power cut¹. The ENA says its electricity networks operate with 99.99% reliability but that power cuts can still occur, particularly during the type of storm weather seen earlier this month¹.

The Government's Be Ready advice encourages households to think about how they would cope if everyday services such as electricity, water, mobile phone networks or the internet were disrupted for a short period of time³. West Yorkshire Prepared, the Local Resilience Forum for the region, lists simple actions including signing up to a utility company's Priority Services Register if eligible, keeping enough food and drinking water at home for up to three days, making sure important phone numbers are available if digital services are unavailable, staying informed about local risks and emergency alerts, and checking on neighbours, friends and relatives who may need additional support³. The Government says the advice to be prepared for three days of disruption is also used by France, Ireland and The Netherlands².

Why it matters for households

The advice is aimed at households across the UK ahead of the winter months, when the ENA says power cuts can still occur, particularly during storm weather¹. The PSR is free and open to eligible groups including young families, elderly and disabled customers and those with long-term medical conditions or additional needs¹. The Government says many of the simple steps are quick and cost-free, like signing up to the PSR, and that other steps are designed to be as low-cost as possible². West Yorkshire Prepared states that the campaign is not being launched in response to any specific threat or incident³. The ENA advises households to visit PowerCut105 to make a plan, and to sign up for the PSR if eligible¹. Security Minister Dan Jarvis said eligible households are encouraged to sign up to the PSR as part of the simple steps the Government is encouraging people to take¹.

What happens next

The Government says social media and radio advertising over the coming weeks and months will help reach audiences who may be particularly at-risk in everyday emergencies: families with young children and older people². The ENA says the campaign will use social media, digital content and work with stakeholders to share the advice¹. More than five hundred organisations across the UK, from charities to businesses, have already signed up to share messaging and campaign assets within their networks and communities, according to the Government². Further details of the campaign are listed at powercut105.com¹.

Households can find guidance on signing up to Priority Services Registers for energy and water and on extra support from networks and suppliers for vulnerable households. The Government's campaign forms part of wider work covered in the guide to how the UK prepares for emergencies.