Power cut essentials
A power cut is mostly an inconvenience if a few cheap things are ready before it starts. This list is ordered by what you miss first, says what to look for rather than naming a model, and uses this site's calculator for the bigger question of what a power station would keep running.
In the US? See the power outage edition.
For a particular situation
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- Winter car emergency kitWhat to keep in the car for winter: a jump starter for a flat battery, a scraper, a shovel, blankets, phone…
Light
The first thing you miss, and the cheapest to solve.
Plug-in power failure lights
They live in a socket as a night light, charge themselves, and switch on the moment the mains goes off, so you are never hunting for a torch in the dark.
Look for: A built-in battery you can pull out and carry as a torch, and a UK three-pin plug if you are in the UK.
Head torch
Both hands free for the fuse box, the stairs and the kettle you cannot use.
Look for: USB-C charging or common AA batteries, and a red-light mode that does not dazzle everyone else.
Phones and the internet
Phones are how you report the cut, check updates and reach people.
Power bank, 20,000 mAh
Keeps a phone going for days if you use it sparingly.
Look for: Capacity in watt-hours as well as mAh (about 74 Wh for 20,000 mAh), USB-C in and out, and keep it charged.
Mini UPS for the router
Home phones now run through the broadband router, so when it goes off in a power cut the landline goes with it. A small battery box keeps the router, and the phone plugged into it, working.
Look for: DC outputs that match the voltage printed on your router's power adapter (usually 12 V), enough of them for the fibre box too if you have one, and a capacity in watt-hours.
A 20,000 mAh bank holds about 74 Wh. Roughly two-thirds of that reaches the phone after conversion losses, which is about 3 full charges of a typical 15 Wh phone battery. That is a rule of thumb, not a test: bigger phones get fewer.
A power bank only runs the internet router through a USB-to-12 V cable, and only if the bank supports it. A mini UPS made for routers is simpler, and a power station runs it for a long time: see below. The power bank page has the numbers for phones, lanterns, USB heated throws and routers, and the router guide explains why the landline matters.
News and updates
When the phone network is overloaded or the battery is precious, radio still works.
Warmth
Heat the person, not the room.
Hot water bottle and a vacuum flask
Boil water while you still can, keep it hot in a flask, and refill the bottle through the night.
Look for: A bottle made to BS 1970 in the UK, and a flask of a litre or more.
Fleece blankets or sleeping bags
Layers and a warm bed do more than any heater a battery can run.
Look for: Whatever you would take camping; a sleeping bag rated for the season is warmer than a duvet.
Hand warmers
Air-activated packs give hours of heat with no power at all, and a pocketful helps children and older relatives.
Look for: Long-duration packs, and the expiry date on bulk boxes.
More ideas, and what a battery can and cannot heat, in how to keep warm in a power cut.
Food
Keep the fridge and freezer shut, and know when food is still safe.
Fridge and freezer thermometers
The only way to know whether the food stayed cold enough, rather than guessing from the clock.
Look for: One for each appliance, readable without opening the door for long.
Cool box and ice packs
Move what you need for the day into a cool box so the fridge and freezer stay shut, and keep ice packs frozen in the freezer as extra cold.
Look for: A hard box big enough for a day of food, and flat ice packs that fill the gaps in the freezer.
How long food lasts, and when to throw it away, is in how long a freezer stays frozen in a power cut.
Safety
Outages are when people improvise, and improvising is when accidents happen.
Battery carbon monoxide alarm
Anything burning fuel indoors, a boiler relit after an outage included, can produce carbon monoxide you cannot see or smell.
Look for: A sealed long-life battery and EN 50291 certification in the UK (UL 2034 in the US).
When you need more: a power station
Everything above keeps you comfortable. A portable power station keeps things running: the router, the fridge, an electric blanket and, if it is wired for it, the gas boiler. This is what a 1,056 Wh Anker SOLIX C1000 manages for each load on its own, modelled from the same catalogue as the rest of the site.
| Load | Alone, from full |
|---|---|
| Wi-Fi router | 36 h 33 min |
| Phone charging | 2 days 13 h |
| Fridge-freezer (full size) | 14 h 29 min |
| Gas combi boiler (its electrics) | 12 h 23 min |
| Electric blanket | 23 h 59 min |
Running several together shares the same battery. Size a station for your own loads with the calculator, compare the outage picks in the buying guide, and read the boiler guide before counting on heating.
Checklist to print
- Power failure lights in the hall, landing and kitchen
- A head torch by the bed and one by the fuse box
- Lantern and spare batteries in one labelled box
- Power bank charged, and a cable that fits every phone in the house
- Battery or wind-up radio
- Flask, hot water bottles, blankets or sleeping bags
- Thermometers in the fridge and freezer
- A working carbon monoxide alarm, tested
- The number 105 written down (Great Britain)
- If you have a power station: charged, and you know what it can run
Print this page or save it for offline use: the site keeps working without a connection once you have visited it.
If you have solar or a home battery
Most solar panels switch off in a power cut, even in bright sun: here is why, and what keeps working. A home battery only helps if it was installed with backup; the home battery calculator shows how long it keeps the essentials going.
Before a named storm
- Charge everything: phones, power bank, power station, head torch.
- Fill a flask with boiling water and turn the fridge and freezer down a notch.
- Find the torches and batteries now, not in the dark.
- Check on anyone nearby who relies on powered equipment or would struggle in the cold.
The power-cut guide covers planning around a battery in more depth, and the cold-weather guide explains why a station holds less in a cold garage.
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