Do I need an emergency kit in the UK? A calm, honest answer
Last reviewed 24 October 2026 · 4 min read
Quick checklist
Quick checklist
0 of 7 doneDo I need an emergency kit in the UK? It depends on three things
Nobody can predict what will happen in your home. What we can do is explain what a kit is for, what it covers and what it costs.
What goes wrong at home
Most of what a kit helps with is ordinary: a power cut after a storm, a burst pipe or a water supply that is switched off, a flood warning, a boiler fault in winter, or an illness that keeps you in. These are usually short. A kit does not stop them. It makes them easier, because you are not hunting for a torch in the dark or running to the shop with a cold house and no water.
What a small kit covers
A small kit is a box, a shelf or a cupboard corner. It holds light, water, food that needs no cooking, warmth, first aid, a charged power bank and copies of key numbers. Our emergency kit list has the full set, based on the Be Ready checklist. Our power-cut checklist shows what one day looks like.
What it costs
Less than you think. Start with what you own: blankets, coats, clean bottles, tins and a phone charger. Then add a few things over a few weeks. Our budget emergency kit guide shows a buying order for about £25.
What you can skip
You do not need specialist gear, a stockpile that fills a room or a gadget with twelve functions. Those are common emergency kit mistakes, and our guide to emergency kit mistakes that waste money explains why. Our guide to prepper myths tackles the rest. A small kit that you check is better than a big one that you forget.
Who needs to think a bit harder
Some households need a bit more planning.
- Someone relies on medical equipment or care. Speak to your energy supplier and your GP about extra support. Our guide to the Priority Services Register explains how.
- You look after an older relative. Our guide to an emergency kit for elderly parents shows what changes.
- You live in a flat or rent. You can keep a kit in a single cupboard, and nothing about it is permanent.
- You live somewhere remote. Help and deliveries may take longer to reach you, so aim for the full three days.
How to start today
- Find a torch and test it.
- Find a tin opener and test it on a real tin.
- Fill two or three clean bottles from the cold tap and date them.
- Put those with a blanket in one cupboard.
- Write your key phone numbers on a sheet of paper.
That is a kit. Everything else is a step more.
If you have £10, £25 or £50
These are budgets, not quotes. Prices change, so check the current price first.
- About £10: a AA battery LED torch (Retailer link coming soon) and spare batteries, plus a manual tin opener (Retailer link coming soon) if yours is stiff.
- About £25: add tins you like and a fleece blanket if you are short.
- About £50: add a carbon monoxide alarm (Retailer link coming soon) if you have none.
Questions people ask
Is an emergency kit worth it?
In our view, a small one is. It costs little, takes up little space, and makes short disruptions such as a power cut easier to manage. A large or expensive kit is not needed. Start with what you already own, then add a few basics over time.
What is the minimum I should have at home?
A working torch, a manual tin opener, a few bottles of tap water, food you can eat cold, a warm layer for each person and a paper list of key numbers. If your home has fuel-burning appliances, add a working carbon monoxide alarm.
How many days should an emergency kit last?
Be Ready asks households to plan for about three days. If that feels like a lot, start with one day and build up gradually. Official advice for water is 3 litres per person per day, so a single person needs 9 litres over three days.
Do renters and people in flats need an emergency kit?
Yes, and it can fit in one cupboard. Nothing about a basic kit is permanent, so you can take it with you when you move. Ask your landlord about alarms and shut-offs, and check you have a working carbon monoxide alarm.
Sources and further reading
Sources
firesidefolk.com/kits-and-grab-bags/do-i-need-an-emergency-kit-uk · Last reviewed 24 October 2026 · Fireside Folk