Everyday Resilience

Power cuts are usually short-lived. Yet when the lights suddenly go out on a cold, wet evening, even a relatively brief interruption can affect heating, cooking, communications, medical equipment and the ability to travel. As Britain moves into autumn and winter, now is a sensible time to prepare—not because a nationwide power cut is expected, but because storms regularly cause local and regional power cuts. What recent winters have shown us There is no single, publicly accessible UK figure showing the exact number of separate power cuts during autumn and winter 2025–26. Electricity networks normally report individual faults, customers interrupted and customer-minutes lost rather than one national power-cut total. One incident can affect thousands of properties, so these figures should not be treated as interchangeable. What we can say is that severe weather caused substantial disruption. Storm Amy in October 2025 brought damaging winds to northern parts of the UK. In Scotl...

Preparedness does not have to mean panic-buying, expensive equipment or planning for the end of the world. It means making a few sensible decisions before disruption reaches your door. Everyday Resilience is for ordinary UK families who want to feel more confident about power cuts, severe weather, flooding, illness, travel disruption and the unexpected pressures of everyday life. Begin with your household Before buying equipment, think about the people who depend on your plan. Consider children, older relatives, medical needs, pets, transport and how each person would cope if normal services were interrupted. Write down essential telephone numbers. Agree how your family will contact and meet one another. Identify anyone who may need additional help. Know how to turn off your water, gas and electricity safely. Build around four essentials A useful plan begins with four basic needs: water, food, warmth and shelter . You do not need to complete everything at once. Add one prac...