UK Emergency Kit Checklist: What to Include for 72 Hours

Updated October 28, 2026. A useful UK household emergency kit is not a shopping basket full of specialist gear. It is a set of everyday essentials that can help you cope if a storm, flood, power cut or water outage interrupts normal life. The practical starting point is being able to manage basic needs at home for up to 72 hours, while keeping a smaller set of essentials ready in case you are told to leave.

The UK government's UK government Prepare campaign and the British Red Cross 72-hour preparation advice encourage simple planning and gradual preparation. They do not require every home to buy a branded survival pack or stockpile supplies. What makes sense depends on your household size, storage space, budget, health needs and local risks.

Start with the disruption you need to handle

A basic kit should cover drinking water, food, light, communication, hygiene, medication and warmth. Before choosing products, consider the type of interruption most relevant to your home and whether you might need to stay put or leave quickly.

Review your location using official warnings, including the Met Office UK weather warnings and the England flood-warning registration service if you live in England. Flood services vary across the UK's nations; use the appropriate devolved agency rather than assuming one England-only sign-up covers everyone.

How much water and food should you put aside?

Water: calculate for people, then consider storage

Government preparedness guidance describes about 2.5–3 liters of drinking water per person per day as a minimum survival planning reference, with more needed for cooking and basic hygiene. The newer government checklist uses 3 liters per person per day for drinking as a simple target. For a 72-hour plan, that is 9 liters per person or 36 liters for a four-person household for drinking alone. These are planning figures, not a universal amount that will meet every need.

Water is often the bulkiest item. Store sealed bottles in a suitable area, check their dates and follow their storage labels. If you have very limited space, begin with what you can reasonably store and identify an additional safe supply; do not assume a filter or purification device can replace water where none is available. Add extra for infant feeding, medical requirements and pets. The UK government Be Ready checklist distinguishes drinking water from additional water needed for washing or cooking.

Food: choose what you will actually eat

Prefer nonperishable food you already like and can eat without a stove: canned beans, fish or vegetables, crackers, dried fruit, nut butter or suitable ready-to-eat meals. Include a manual can opener if needed. Check dietary restrictions, food allergies, ease of opening packaging and whether anyone needs soft-textured or specialist food. A supply that requires refrigeration or boiling water is less helpful during an extended outage.

Rather than leave food untouched for years, rotate shelf-stable items through ordinary meals and replace them during routine shopping. Do not depend on your refrigerator to protect perishable food throughout a prolonged power cut. The Food Standards Agency power-cut guidance says a closed refrigerator is generally expected to stay cold for up to four hours and a full freezer up to 48 hours, but these are estimates affected by temperature and how often doors are opened.

Lighting, charging and information: compare your backup options

Flashlight or lantern: A simple battery flashlight gives dependable directional light and is safer than a candle. A lantern can illuminate a shared room but may use more power. Make sure the batteries fit, test the switch and store suitable spares. Rechargeable lights are convenient when kept charged; a replaceable-battery model can be easier to maintain through a long outage.

Power bank: It helps keep a mobile phone available for calls and updates, provided you keep the bank charged and have the right cable. A higher-capacity model may be useful for several devices, but costs more and adds weight. A typical phone power bank should not be assumed to provide safe or sufficient backup for life-supporting medical equipment.

Radio: A battery-powered or wind-up FM radio offers another way to receive news when home broadband or mobile coverage is disrupted. Write down the frequencies of useful local stations rather than relying solely on a streaming radio app. Government UK government power-cut advice advice emphasizes that communication services may be affected by an electrical outage.

Keep a paper contact sheet listing household contacts, your energy network, your pharmacy or care provider, and a person outside your immediate area. In England, Scotland and Wales, 105 is the number to report electricity power cuts; in Northern Ireland, the corresponding NIE Networks number is 03457 643643. For immediate danger call 999, not a routine utility line.

Medical, accessibility, baby and pet needs change the checklist

There is no one-size-fits-all kit for households relying on prescription medicines, mobility aids, feeding equipment, refrigerated treatments or powered medical devices. Keep an up-to-date written medication list and check prescription refills early. Ask your pharmacist or clinical team how to manage temperature-sensitive medications and what backup arrangements are appropriate for your equipment; do not improvise a substitute power source or change a treatment schedule.

If electricity is medically important, investigate Ofgem’s Priority Services Register guidance. Eligible customers may receive extra communication and assistance during interruptions, but registration does not guarantee uninterrupted power or a particular level of service. The register arrangement also differs in Northern Ireland, where relevant providers use customer care or critical care services.

For babies, include diapers, wipes and appropriate feeding supplies. UK preparedness advice recommends ready-to-feed formula for emergencies because safely preparing powdered formula may be difficult without power or clean hot water. Follow product storage and feeding instructions. For pets, account for their regular food, drinking water, medication, carrier or lead, and identification details.

Other individual needs may include glasses, hearing-aid batteries, menstrual products, incontinence supplies, sensory supports and accessible copies of important instructions. Pack these based on actual use, not a generic checklist.

Home supply box versus evacuation grab bag

Keeping everything in a single heavy backpack is rarely practical. A home supply box can hold bulky water, food, batteries, hygiene items and warm bedding in a dry, accessible area. A smaller grab bag should be light enough for the person carrying it and include urgent essentials such as medications, contact information, copies of identification and insurance details, a phone charger, keys, a small amount of water and an appropriate change of clothing.

Store sensitive documents in a waterproof pouch and secure them against casual access. Keep originals protected; use copies where reasonable. Decide who will collect children, help someone with limited mobility or handle pets if you need to evacuate. A household plan can be more valuable than another gadget.

Fire safety exception: If a fire forces you to escape, do not delay leaving to retrieve a bag or belongings. Government emergency guidance specifically distinguishes immediate escape from planned evacuation. Follow the instructions of emergency services.

How to build a useful kit without overspending

1. Inventory what you own. Check for a working flashlight, radio, warm clothing, bottled water, canned food and basic first-aid items before buying duplicates.
2. Fill the highest-impact gaps first. Prioritize drinking water, food you can eat without heating, essential medications and a reliable way to see and communicate in the dark.
3. Use ordinary shopping trips. Buy a little at a time instead of paying for a preassembled kit without inspecting the contents and expiration dates.
4. Label and locate supplies. Everyone at home should know where the box and grab bag are, even during a power cut.
5. Recheck every six months. Review battery charge, medications, water and food dates, documents, clothing sizes and any changes in household needs. This timing follows the UK government Be Ready checklist guidance.

Commercial ready-made kits can save shopping time, but compare them item by item. If a kit omits sufficient water, your prescribed supplies or a usable radio, its convenient packaging does not make it complete. Conversely, a modest collection of items already in the home can be perfectly useful when kept organized and maintained.

Important safety choices during a disruption

Avoid candles as your main lighting plan; choose flashlights instead. Do not bring charcoal barbecues or outdoor fuel-burning stoves indoors to cook or heat a room, because carbon monoxide can build up. In cold weather, use dry layers, blankets and appropriate safe heating arrangements. In flood conditions, do not enter floodwater or disregard official instructions just to protect stored supplies.

For checking whether a disruption is occurring, use official local warnings and your utility provider, rather than relying on social media speculation. The British Red Cross emergency kit guide recommends tailoring supplies to the household, while the British Red Cross advice for power cuts advises charging essential devices and knowing your electricity network operator ahead of bad weather.

A simple starting checklist

• Drinking water and three days of familiar, ready-to-eat food
• Working flashlight, spare batteries, charged power bank and battery or wind-up radio
• Essential medication, first-aid items and personalized medical or accessibility supplies
• Wet wipes, hand sanitizer, toiletries and any baby or pet supplies
• Warm layers, blankets, paper contact list, some cash and copies of important documents
• A portable evacuation bag and a short household communication plan

The practical choice: Start with a small, dependable kit for everyday interruptions, scale drinking water and food to the number of people you support, and then add only what your local risks and individual needs justify. Preparedness is a maintained household habit, not a one-time purchase.