Emergency and Non-Emergency Numbers to Keep on Paper

If someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk, call 999. For urgent medical help that is not an emergency, call 111 or use 111.nhs.uk if the person is aged 5 or over. For a power cut, or damage to power lines or substations, call 105 in England, Scotland and Wales, or 03457 643643 in Northern Ireland. Those four numbers, plus your own family, doctor and utility contacts, are the list worth writing down.

Write it on paper as well as saving it in your phone. The Be Ready campaign advises writing down important phone numbers on paper and storing them somewhere easy to find in a power cut¹. Wiltshire and Swindon Prepared puts the reason plainly: keep some written down somewhere safe in case you ever need them, because you may not be able to reach them on your phone or online². A flat battery, a lost handset or a dead mobile mast should not be the moment you discover you cannot remember a number.

This page sets out what each number is for, when to use it and when not to, and how to keep the list ready. It is a checklist first: the items below are the ones to write down, each with a few words on why.

The numbers to write down

Start with the official numbers, then add the personal ones. Write a list of emergency contacts, such as family, friends, local authorities, medical facilities, and the 105 number⁸. Write down important phone numbers, including your utility suppliers and people you may need to contact⁹.

A practical list covers:

• 999 for a life at risk³
• 111 for urgent medical help that is not an emergency⁴
• 105 for a power cut or damaged power lines in England, Scotland and Wales⁵
• 03457 643643 for a power cut in Northern Ireland⁶
• 18000 for textphone and minicom users contacting the emergency services⁷
• Your GP, dentist and nearest hospital
• Your electricity, gas, water and phone suppliers
• Family, neighbours and a friend who lives away from home
• Your home insurance company and breakdown services¹⁰

The Culham parish emergency booklet lists the same kinds of contact: work, doctor, schools, water supplier, electricity network operator, gas supplier, telephone and internet provider, home insurance company, home breakdown services and an emergency friend¹⁰. That is a good shape for the list, whatever your household looks like.

999 is for when a life is at risk

Every official source says the same thing in slightly different words. Call 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger¹. Call 999 in a medical emergency, when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk³. The South Western Ambulance Service asks people to always call 999 if someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk¹¹.

The North East Ambulance Service warns against using it for anything else: do not call 999 if it is not an emergency, as this could delay help reaching someone who needs urgent assistance¹². The London Fire Brigade makes the same point about fires: small fires can spread quickly and the smoke can be toxic, so get out, stay out and call 999¹³.

When you call, the London Ambulance Service advises checking that your house number can be seen from the road, so crews can find you¹⁴. If you cannot speak, there are separate arrangements for silent calls and for giving your exact location, covered on this site.

NHS 111 for urgent help that is not an emergency

NHS 111 is a free service that provides urgent medical advice and support¹⁵. It is for when you need medical help or advice but it is not an emergency¹⁶, and it is less urgent than a 999 call⁴. The ambulance service advises using 111 for all urgent medical needs rather than calling 999 or going to your local A&E¹⁷.

You can call 111 free from a landline or mobile phone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week⁴. You can also go online to 111.nhs.uk, but the online assessment is for people aged 5 and over only⁴. NHS 111 online is for people in England aged 5 and over who need urgent health care advice when it is not a life-threatening situation¹⁸. Whether you use the online assessment or the telephone, you answer the same few questions about your main symptoms to get the right information and advice¹⁷.

If you have difficulty hearing, you can access NHS 111 using the British Sign Language interpreter service⁴. Text relay users can call 18001111¹⁵. When calling 999 or 111 you can ask for a translator at any point, and if you speak more than one language, state them both, as less common languages may be more difficult to find a translator for¹⁶.

105 for a power cut or damaged power lines

Call 105 to report a power cut or get information about one, or to report damage to power lines or substations⁵. It is a free service that puts you through to your local network operator, who can give you help and advice¹⁹. The National Energy System Operator explains that the number connects you to your local distribution network operator, who is responsible for restoring power⁵.

It does not matter who you buy your electricity from: anyone can call 105²⁰. The number is free and available nationwide, and you can call it from most landlines and mobile phones²⁰. It covers England, Scotland and Wales²⁰. In Northern Ireland, the Be Ready campaign gives 03457 643643 as the number to report a power cut⁶.

If you spot damage to electricity power lines and substations that could put you or someone else in danger, call 105²⁰. If there is a serious immediate risk, call the emergency services too²⁰.

Keep the list on paper as well as on your phone

Save the numbers in your phone, then write them down. Northern Powergrid advises saving important contact numbers, including the national power cut reporting number 105, to your phone¹⁹. Greater Manchester Combined Authority suggests writing down 105 or saving it in your mobile phone⁸. Do both.

The paper copy matters because the phone may be the thing that fails. Wiltshire and Swindon Prepared asks the question directly: what if we cannot access that, how would you find those important numbers of family or your insurance²? The Be Ready campaign's answer is to write down important phone numbers on paper and store them somewhere easy to find in a power cut, along with your medication list, radio frequencies and insurance policy details¹.

A few habits keep the list useful:

• Keep one copy in a fixed place, such as a kitchen drawer or inside a cupboard door, where every member of the household knows to look²¹
• Keep a second copy in your emergency kit, so it travels with your torch and radio
• Update it when a number changes, and write the date at the top
• Tell children what to do, in simple, reassuring language, and help them learn their home address, a parent or guardian's mobile number if possible, and how and when to call the emergency services²¹
• Add a contact away from home, so the household has one person to call and pass messages through if local lines are busy

Getting help if you cannot use a standard phone

The standard numbers assume you can hear and speak on an ordinary phone. Several official services exist for people who cannot.

• Textphone or minicom users can contact the emergency services by dialling 18000, which connects the call to the emergency services⁷
• Text relay users can reach NHS 111 on 18001111¹⁵
• British Sign Language users can use 999 BSL: on the app or the website, press the red "Call 999 Emergency now" button and you will be connected to a BSL interpreter, who passes information between you and a 999 operator¹³
• Ambulance crews now have a BSL video relay service so paramedics can access a British Sign Language interpreter at the scene of an incident or at home, subject to 4/5G signal¹²

Write the relay numbers on the paper list too, so they are there when the phone is the only thing to hand and you cannot look them up.

Where to get more help and keep the list current

The list is only as good as its accuracy. Check it once or twice a year, and whenever you move house or change supplier. If you rely on electricity for medical equipment or have other additional needs, tell your network operator and ask about the help available; the Extra Help in an Emergency guide covers this, and the Power Cuts guide explains what happens during an outage.

For the wider picture of staying in touch when networks fail, see Staying Informed and in Touch in an Emergency. The Non-Emergency Numbers page covers 101, 105 and NHS 111 in more depth, and Calling 999 and 112 explains what happens when you ring. If you are deaf or use a relay service, 999 BSL and Relay UK sets out the options. To get your phone itself ready, see Getting Your Mobile Phone Ready for an Emergency, and for a household contact plan, see Keeping in Touch With Your Household.