Prepping for beginners: the first 10 things to do

Being prepared is not about bunkers or fear. It is about a household that can cope calmly for a few days if something normal stops working: the power goes off, the water supply is interrupted, roads are closed by snow or flooding, or you are unwell and cannot get to the shops.

The UK government’s Be Ready campaign suggests planning to cope for 3 days. That is a sensible, achievable first goal, and it is what this guide works towards. You do not need to do everything this weekend. Work through the list in order, one step at a time.

1. Find out where you stand

Before buying anything, spend ten minutes on our Home Preparedness Score. It asks 30 short questions across 10 areas and shows your three biggest gaps, each with one next step. It also stops you spending money on things you already have.

2. Store water first

Water is the most important thing to have at home. You can manage for days with little food, but not without water. The Be Ready checklist uses 3 litres per person per day for drinking. You will need more for cooking and washing.

• Use our water storage calculator to work out your household’s total, including pets.
• Start with enough for 3 days. Bottled water from the supermarket is the easiest option.
• Label any containers you fill yourself with the date, and replace that water every 6 months.

Read more in how much water should you store?

3. Build up 3 days of food

Choose food that keeps without a fridge and that you can eat cold or with just hot water: tinned meals, tinned fish and beans, crackers, oats, peanut butter, dried fruit and UHT milk.

• Buy food your household already eats, so you will rotate it rather than waste it.
• Add one or two extra items to each weekly shop. Within a month you will have a buffer.
• The food storage calculator turns your household into a shopping list.

4. Get light that does not need mains power

Power cuts are one of the most common emergencies in UK homes. Have at least one torch for each adult, with spare batteries, or rechargeable or wind-up lights. Avoid relying on candles: they are a fire risk, especially with children and pets around.

5. Keep a way to hear the news

If mobile networks or the internet are down, a battery or wind-up radio lets you hear local news and travel updates. Also make sure your mobile phone can receive government emergency alerts, which are sent to phones in an area where there is a danger to life.

6. Keep a way to charge your phone

A fully charged power bank, or a car charger, means you can keep your phone working through a power cut. Charge power banks every few months; they slowly lose charge when stored.

7. Write down important numbers

If your phone is lost, broken or flat, would you know anyone’s number? Write key contacts on a card for each member of your household: family, a neighbour, school, work, your GP, your energy supplier and your insurer. Add 105, the free number to report a power cut in England, Scotland and Wales.

8. Check your first aid kit and medicines

Make sure your first aid kit is stocked and in date. If anyone relies on regular medicines, talk to your GP or pharmacist about how to avoid running low. Do not stockpile prescription medicines without their advice.

9. Make a simple household plan

Agree as a household:

• where you would meet if you could not get home, both nearby and further away
• who would collect the children or check on older relatives
• how you would contact each other if phones were not working

Our family emergency plan guide walks you through it.

10. Know about extra support

If anyone in your home is disabled, has a long-term health condition, relies on medical equipment, is of pensionable age, or has young children, you may be eligible for the Priority Services Register. It is free, and it means your energy and water companies know to give you extra help during an interruption.

Your first-week checklist

• Take the Home Preparedness Score
• Buy or store 3 days of water for everyone, including pets
• Put 3 days of no-cook food in one cupboard
• Find a torch and spare batteries, and put them somewhere everyone knows
• Charge a power bank
• Write a paper contact card for each person
• Check your first aid kit
• Agree two meeting places

What next?

Once you have the basics for 3 days, you can widen your plan: pack a 72-hour emergency bag, prepare for a power cut, and gather your essential documents. Retake the preparedness score in a month to see your progress.

Sources and further reading

• Be Ready (UK Government)
• Be ready for emergencies (UK Government)
• About Emergency Alerts (GOV.UK)
• Priority Services Register (The PSR)