What to Keep Charged Before a Power Cut

When the power goes off, almost everything in the house stops: the heating, the cooker, the broadband, often the landline. What keeps working is whatever has a battery in it, and only for as long as that battery lasts. That is why the single most repeated piece of official advice before a power cut is to keep your mobile phone fully charged, so you can go online for updates or call if you have a power cut¹. Network operators, the Met Office and councils across the UK say the same thing in almost the same words².

The second thing to keep charged is a backup for the phone: a power bank, kept topped up, so a flat phone does not leave you cut off from information and help⁵. Beyond that, a torch and a battery or wind-up radio cover the hours when the phone is best kept for emergencies⁷.

This page is a checklist. Work through it now, while the power is on, then read the sections below on why each item matters, how to make a phone battery last, how to report a cut and how to stay safe near damaged equipment.

The checklist: what to keep charged and ready

Work through this list before the next storm, and again whenever a warning is issued. Each item earns its place because it does something the others cannot.

1. Mobile phone, fully charged. So you can go online for updates or call if you have a power cut¹. Charge it overnight, every night, in winter and whenever severe weather is forecast.
2. A power bank, charged regularly. A small power bank can help power your mobile phone in a power cut¹². Keep it charged rather than in a drawer at empty.
3. A torch or light, with spare batteries. Keep a light or torch handy in the event of a power cut or failure¹³.
4. A battery or wind-up FM radio. To get updates during a power cut when the internet and mobile data are down¹⁴.
5. Important phone numbers, on paper. Keep your mobile charged and make sure it has all your important phone numbers in it, and have a list on paper too⁶.
6. The 105 number stored on the phone. Store key information such as the power cut helpline number (105) on your phone¹².
7. A separate battery charger, if you have one. Consider a separate battery charger for your phone¹⁵.
8. Battery equipment for anyone who depends on it. Charge fully any equipment with batteries for a planned power cut, and for unplanned cuts make sure items not in use are charging or charged¹¹.

Why the phone comes first

The phone is the one device that does several jobs at once: it is your link to updates, your way of calling for help, and your contact with family. Official guidance is consistent that it should be kept charged so you can make calls in case of an emergency², and so you can use it to go online for updates or call if you have a power cut¹. Northern Ireland's guidance puts it in terms of support: keep your mobile charged so you can call for support if needed¹⁶.

The limit is time. Charging phones, laptops, tablets and power banks gives you use of battery power for a short time at least, not indefinitely³. That is why the advice is to charge everything, not just the phone, and to have a power bank as a backup⁵. A power bank bought and left uncharged is no help at all, which is why the guidance is to charge it regularly¹⁴.

There is a second reason to keep the phone ready: information. During a cut, your network operator's website and social media carry updates on the incident, and a charged phone is how you reach them¹. For more on what happens to mobile networks in a cut, see Mobile Networks in a Power Cut: Masts, Backup Batteries and Signal.

Making a phone battery last through a cut

A full phone battery does not last forever when it is working hard, and in a cut it will be working hard: searching for signal, refreshing pages, lighting the screen. The main official and independent advice is simple: cut apps running in the background¹. Those are the apps that quietly use power while the screen is off.

A few habits make a difference:

• Carry a charged power bank as a backup⁵.

If you rely on a phone for a medical device, a telecare alarm or a monitored service, treat charging as a daily task rather than an occasional one. The guidance for households with technology-dependent children is to charge fully any equipment with batteries for a planned power cut, and for unplanned cuts to make sure any items not in use are charging or charged¹¹. The same discipline suits anyone with a powered medical device at home. For more detail, see How to Save Your Phone Battery in a Power Cut and Getting Your Mobile Phone Ready for an Emergency.

Reporting a power cut and getting updates

Call 105 to report a power cut. It is the national power cut line, and you can also call it if you spot damage to electricity power lines and substations that could put you or someone else in danger¹⁸. Store the number on your phone before you need it¹⁰.

While the cut lasts, updates come from your network operator. A battery-powered radio and fresh batteries matter because you may be able to receive updates on the incident that way¹³. Keep a mobile phone charged to receive updates, and follow your operator's social media feed where you can¹⁹.

For the wider picture on official warnings, see Where to Get Official Warnings and News in an Emergency and Which Radio Stations to Tune Into During a Power Cut.

Getting through a power cut safely: stay back from damaged equipment

The message from network operators after a storm is blunt: "please stay back, don't touch it"²². Stay well clear of any fallen power lines or damaged equipment²³. If a line comes down on a fence, a car or a puddle, treat everything nearby as live and keep others away until the operator arrives.

Inside the house, the risk is different but real. Switch off appliances and equipment to help prevent damage when the power returns²⁰. Do not leave electrical appliances switched on at the socket, particularly heating or cooking appliances, as power could be restored at any time and cause a safety hazard¹¹. Turn off big appliances, especially cookers and electric fires, until the power is back on²⁴. The British Red Cross puts it plainly: protect your electrical appliances by switching them off and unplugging them²⁵.

Leave a light on so you know when your power comes back on²¹. If the cut is localised, stay with friends or relatives until your power is back on²¹. Check on vulnerable neighbours or family²¹. For the full household routine, see Power Cuts: A Household Guide.

A household power cut plan in four steps

A plan is not a document; it is a set of habits that mean nobody has to think in the dark.

1. Before: keep phones, laptops, tablets and power banks fully charged³. Keep torches, batteries and a battery or wind-up FM radio ready⁷. Write important numbers on paper⁶.
2. When the power goes: stay calm, and remember the power companies will be working to restore power²⁵. Switch off appliances at the socket, especially heating and cooking appliances¹¹. Leave a light on so you know when power returns²⁶.
3. During: use the radio and a charged phone for updates¹⁸. Check on vulnerable neighbours or family²⁶. Keep the fridge and freezer closed: don't open your freezer, and if food has defrosted by the time power is back, throw it away²⁴.
4. After: check the freezer and fridge food before using it²⁴, and switch appliances back on only when you are ready¹¹.

For households that need extra help, the Priority Services Register is the route to support from your network operator during a cut. For the wider kit list, see Emergency Kit: What a UK Household Should Keep Ready and Backup Power at Home: A Household Guide.