Every storm season, the news fills up with yellow, amber and red weather warnings. But what do they actually mean for your household, and when should you do something about them? Here’s a plain-English guide. The short version How the…
When the lights go out, most of us reach for a candle. It’s the worst choice. Candles are a fire risk, give poor light, and are dangerous around children and pets. A cheap LED head torch and lantern do the…
For decades, the old landline was the one thing that kept working in a power cut. That’s changing. The UK is moving every home phone line onto digital technology, and digital phones need electricity in your home to work. The…
In a power cut, your phone is your torch backup, your news source, your way to call 105 and your link to family. A charged power bank keeps it alive. But the numbers on the box are confusing, and plenty…
Every year, Britain’s electricity system operator publishes its view of how winter is likely to go. Its early view for winter 2026/27 is reassuring, but it doesn’t mean you won’t have a power cut. Here’s what it says, and what…
Every winter, some of the most serious harm in UK power cuts isn’t caused by the cold. It’s caused by carbon monoxide (CO), when people improvise heating or cooking indoors. It has no colour, no smell and no taste, so…
You don’t need expensive survival gear to get through a power cut. For under £50, mostly from ordinary UK shops, you can put together a kit that keeps a small household going for three days without electricity. The short version…
There’s a free scheme in the UK that can get you extra help in a power cut or water outage, and most people have never heard of it. It’s called the Priority Services Register (PSR), and far more households qualify…
When the power goes off, most people’s first instinct is to ring their energy supplier. That’s actually the wrong number. Here’s what really happens behind the scenes in a UK power cut, who to call, and what to do while…
Almost every gas boiler needs electricity, so a winter power cut means no heating. Here's how to keep your household warm and safe for 72 hours.