Getting ready without the doom

Published 28 October 2026

A little, yes. For most households that means 3 days of water, food and a few basics, kept in one place. Then you stop. This page is about the question before the list: do you need to, and when is it enough?

Do UK households really need to prepare for emergencies?

A little. The risks are ordinary: a power cut, a flood, a storm, the water going off, a bit of snow. They happen, and they’re usually sorted in a day or two. Being ready just makes those days easier.

The government’s 2026 survey found that 69% of adults agree it’s important to prepare, even for emergencies that are unlikely. And 74% agree there are things people can do that work. Yet 50% said their household is only slightly prepared, or not at all.

So you’re not odd for doing a bit, and you’re not odd for not having done it yet. Most of us are in the same place.

How much is enough?

3 days. That’s the government’s line, and it’s ours. The picture to hold in your head is a box under the stairs: water, food that needs no cooking, a torch, a radio, a way to charge a phone, something warm, a little cash and your important numbers on paper.

You’re done when you’ve done that. Not when you’ve bought everything, and not when you feel perfectly safe, because nobody ever does. If you’d like the actual lists, they live elsewhere, so we don’t repeat them here:

• The checklist has everything on one page.
• The kit has our pick for each item.
• A sensible prepping list for UK homes puts it in order: free, cheap, optional.
• Be Ready, explained in 5 minutes covers what the campaign asks.

What ordinary disruption looks like in the UK

• Power cut: the lights go off. Use torches, not candles, and report it on 105.
• Flood: what to do before, during and after.
• Storm: getting your home ready before it arrives.
• Water off: use your stored water, and follow your water company’s advice.
• Snowed in: stay put, keep one room warm, and check on the neighbours.
• Phones and internet down: how to reach 999, and why a little cash helps.

Each page is short, and each says what to do first.

What you can safely skip

You don’t need months of food, specialist gear or ready-made grab bags to manage 3 days at home. Zombies aren’t on the list either.

If you want to do more, that’s fine. Plenty of people enjoy it, and nothing here is a criticism. This is the floor: enough to be comfortable and to help the people around you. Everything beyond it is optional.

How to get ready without spending much

Free things first. Swap numbers with a neighbour, write your important numbers on paper, check you know how to turn off your water, gas and electricity, and see if you can join the Priority Services Register. Fill a few bottles from the tap.

Money is the most common reason people haven’t started: 29% of adults in the survey said not having enough money stops them. Our page on getting ready on a budget shows what to buy first, and what can wait.

Worried about something bigger?

If you’re wondering about something bigger, we’ve written one calm page: what about war?

How to talk about it without scaring anyone

Start with the plan, not the worry. “We’re going to put a torch and some water in the cupboard” is a calmer opening than a list of things that might go wrong. In the survey, 19% of adults said preparing felt stressful or worrying to think about, so keep it short and let people ask their own questions.

For children, our page on talking to children has some words that work. For a parent or relative, an emergency kit for an older parent is a good place to begin, and most of it is a visit and a cup of tea.

Everything we recommend is on one page: the kit.