20 Sept 2023

What to do in a power cut

The best ways to prepare for a power cut and what to do if you're experiencing one

Marianne Calnan

In this article

What to do if you're currently in a power cut
Cooking in a power cut
Heating in a power cut
Using your mobile phone in a power cut
How to prepare for a power cut in your area

If your power has gone off unexpectedly, there are a few things you can do. And if you live in an area that's prone to frequent power cuts, there are also ways to make sure you're prepared.

First of all, find out whether your home is actually experiencing a power cut or whether it's a fault with your own electrics.

If you have a prepayment energy meter, check that you’re still in credit.
Check your fuse box (usually located near your electricity meter) to see whether the problem is a tripped fuse.
Have a look at your neighbours homes to see whether they are also in black out. Often the sound of local burglar alarms sounding is a giveaway.

You can also check your local electricity distributor's website for updates. Find out more about how to find out if there's a power cut near you, and how to report one.

What to do if you're currently in a power cut

In most power cuts, your electricity supply should return quickly. But if your outage is lasting longer than a few minutes, here are a few tips.

Even if your central heating is gas powered, your boiler will need electricity to operate. So if it's cold outside, the first thing you'll need to do is wrap up warm and close your doors and curtains to help keep the heat inside.

Unplug appliances that were on before the power went out if you don't want them to spring back to life when power is restored.

Cooking in a power cut

If you have a gas hob, you can use it as usual. Most modern gas hobs rely on electricity for the starter light, but you can still light the flame by turning the gas onto the lowest setting and holding a long match or gas lighter to the burner instead.

If you only have electric cooking appliances, you won't be able to use them. If you experience blackouts a lot, you might find that having a gas fired camping stove tucked away somewhere for emergencies could be useful. Don't use camping stoves indoors - head outside to use them to boil water or cook small meals.

Once you've managed to boil water, pour some into a thermos flask to use through the day so that you don't need to fire up the stove each time.

See our pick of the best vacuum flasks.

How long can fridge freezers stay cold in a power cut?

When they're sealed shut, fridges and freezers are typically very good at keeping cold air inside even without being switched on. But every time you open the door you'll let warm air in and without power it won't be able to cool back down.

So don’t open your fridge or freezer any more than the absolute bare minimum you need to during a power cut - take out any essentials that you might want to use as soon as the power is out and then leave it firmly shut.

If you've got a cool bag or ice box to hand, use that to store things you might want to use in the next few hours. Discover which are the best cool boxes and best cooler bags from our tests

Your food will typically stay safe in a fridge for four to six hours without power, as long as you keep the doors closed. A fully stocked, closed freezer can stay frozen for as long as 48 hours with the door closed.

When power returns, check the air temperature inside your fridge - some modern fridges have their own temperature display, or you can buy fridge thermometers.

You should throw out meat, fish and dairy products if you find they've been above 4^oC for more than a couple of hours.

Find out more about how to safely store your food in the fridge.

Heating in a power cut

Unfortunately, most gas central heating needs electricity to operate the boiler, which means it won't work in a power outage.

If you do have a gas or paraffin heater, however, you can use it as you normally would.

Stay in southern facing rooms if you can, wear plenty of layers and keep moving. If you've got a camping stove you can use to boil water, fill up hot water bottles to use to warm up. Don't burn camping stoves inside.

Gel hand warmers can also be a good short-term solution in a pinch.

Using your mobile phone in a power cut

Provided you have mobile reception, you should still be able to use the internet on your mobile phone when the power has gone out, and can use it to hotspot to other devices. This does quickly get through your phone's battery life though, so use it sparingly if you don't have a portable charger to use.

To turn on the hotspot on your Apple phone:

Go to Settings > Mobile Data > Personal Hotspot or Settings > Personal Hotspot and make sure it’s turned on.
If you haven’t already set up a Personal Hotspot, tap ‘set up personal hotspot’ and follow the instructions on screen.

If you've got an Android phone:

Swipe down from the top of the screen
Tap ‘hotspot wi-fi hotspot’
If you don’t find hotspot wi-fi hotspot, at the bottom left, click ‘edit’ and drag ‘hotspot wi-fi hotspot’ into your quick settings.

Charging up a smart phone uses up a relatively small amount of energy, which means you can buy portable power banks that hold enough power for a few charges. They are well worth having to hand so that you can stay connected in a black out.

If you're worried about winter power cuts, make sure you keep your power pack charged up and ready to go in an emergency.

How to prepare for a power cut in your area

While most power cuts catch you by surprise, there can be occasions when you know you're heading for a period with no electricity. It could be that your energy company has warned you it's carrying out maintenance on your cables or that you live in an area that's prone to storm-induced black outs, so it's worth getting ahead.

Here are our tips to help you get prepared in advance if you suspect a power cut is on the way, and some things to add to your shopping list to help out:

Charge your electronic devices and make sure any portable power bank chargers are fully charged and easy to access;
Boil water and fill up hot water bottles and vacuum thermos flasks before the power turns off;
Make a note of key contacts (e.g. family, friends and local authorities) on paper so that you can get in touch if you find yourself without phone charge;
Buy a good handheld torch, and keep both somewhere handy, alongside fresh batteries;
Consider how you’ll cook during the power cut. If you're planning on using a camping stove or barbecue, make sure you've got some fuel ready. If you'll be manually lighting your gas hob, make sure you've got long matches or a long handled gas lighter within easy reach;
Make sure your home is safe to walk around in low light - clear away any trip hazards, especially from staircases;
If you're planning to use candles for lighting, get some glass jars or lanterns to put them in to reduce the fire risk. Remember not to cluster groups of lit candles together as they can become a fire hazard.