When the power goes off
The first hour, the first night, and the second day — what to check, what to switch off, and when to worry about the freezer.
Guides
What to do, in order.
Short, practical guides for the things that actually happen here. No scenario that requires a rifle.
When the water stops
What to do before you drink anything, how long stored water lasts, and how to make tap water safe.
Winter storms and long outages
Keeping one room warm, avoiding carbon monoxide, and knowing when to leave.
Flooding
What to move first, what never to touch, and what the insurance photos need to show.
Published guide
When the power goes off
The first ten minutes
- Check whether it is just you. Look at the street, or a neighbour. If the whole street is dark, it is a network fault.
- Report it to your distribution network operator, not your energy supplier. They run the wires. Keep the number somewhere you can find without a phone.
- Turn off the big appliances at the wall — oven, hob, immersion heater — so they do not all surge back on at once.
- Leave one light switched on, so you know the moment power returns.
The first night
- Keep one room in use rather than heating the whole house. Close doors on the rooms you are not using.
- Torches, not candles. Candles cause fires and the fire service is busy.
- Keep the fridge and freezer shut. A full freezer holds temperature for around 24 to 48 hours; a half-full one, less.
- Charge phones in the car if you need to, but never run a car engine in a garage.
Safety, particularly in winter
- Never use a camping stove, barbecue or generator indoors, in a garage, or in a conservatory. Carbon monoxide kills people every year in exactly this situation.
- If you use a generator, it goes outside, well away from windows and doors.
- Check on anyone elderly or unwell nearby. They are the people most at risk and least likely to ask.
When to leave
If the house is genuinely cold, or someone in it depends on powered medical equipment, go. A warm relative or a council rest centre is not an overreaction.
This guide is general information, not medical or safety advice for your circumstances. Check your network operator's own guidance for your area.