Free printable checklist
Beyond three days: a household emergency checklist
The government's Be Ready campaign asks for three days of supplies. This checklist shows the three-day figures next to a two-week target, which is a safer margin because shops can take weeks to recover after a disruption. Tick things off as you go. Per person figures are shown; multiply by the number of people in your home.
Quantities per person
| Item | 3 days (Be Ready) | 2 weeks (safer target) |
|---|---|---|
| Drinking water (3 litres a day) | 9 litres | 42 litres |
| Water including cooking and washing (10 litres a day) | 30 litres | 140 litres |
| Food energy (2,000 to 2,500 kcal a day, adult) | 6,000 to 7,500 kcal | 28,000 to 35,000 kcal |
| Cash (per household) | Some notes and coins | About a week of essentials, mostly small notes |
Water
- Bottled or stored water for each person and pet, dated and rotated every 6 to 12 months
- Water purification tablets (follow the pack), plus a clean cloth to filter cloudy water
- A safe way to heat food and water if the power is out. Use camping stoves and barbecues outdoors only, never indoors
Food
- Tinned meat, fish, beans, vegetables and fruit
- A manual tin opener (the most forgotten item)
- Food that needs no cooking or water: nut butters, crackers, cereal and protein bars, dried fruit and nuts
- Rice, pasta, oats and dried pulses (these need water and fuel)
- UHT or powdered milk, cooking oil, salt, stock cubes, tea or coffee
- Baby formula (ready-to-feed is easiest), nappies and pet food if needed
- Purchase dates written on tins, oldest eaten and replaced every 6 to 12 months
Toilet and hygiene
- A bucket (5 to 10 litres) for flushing with non-drinking water, if the drains still work. Do not flush if sewage is rising, there is flooding, or you have been told not to
- Two sturdy lidded buckets and a snap-on seat per household, for a twin-bucket toilet if flushing is not safe
- Cover material (shredded paper, sawdust, wood ash or cat litter) and bin bags
- Soap, hand sanitiser, wet wipes and toilet paper
Light, warmth and power
- Torches with spare batteries (safer than candles)
- Blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothes
- Charged power banks for phones
- A battery or wind-up FM radio, with news station frequencies written down
- A carbon monoxide alarm. Never run a generator, stove or barbecue indoors or near an open window
Money and papers
- Cash in small notes and coins, kept somewhere secure (check your home insurance cap on cash)
- Copies of ID, insurance and key documents in one folder
- A paper list of emergency contacts, including anyone you may need to check on
- Details of regular medication, doses, and any medical equipment instructions
Health
- A first aid kit and a thermometer
- Essential medication. Order repeat prescriptions up to five working days before you need them
Know your area
- Written down: 105 (report power cuts in England, Scotland and Wales; 03457 643643 in Northern Ireland), your water company's emergency number, and your council's emergency line
- Find your Local Resilience Forum (search "local resilience forums contact details" on GOV.UK)
- Registered with your energy and water suppliers' free Priority Services Register, if anyone at home needs extra support
- Talked to your neighbours about who might need help
Want the full plan?
This checklist is a summary of The Fundamentals in Ten Years To Break Britain. The book explains the reasoning behind each number, covers power, cash and local resilience in more detail, and gives a plan for each of fourteen crises the UK could face over the next decade.
Get the book on AmazonSources
- HM Government, Be Ready campaign announcement, 22 October 2026, and Prepare: get prepared for emergencies.
- Radio X, What is in the Be Ready checklist, 23 October 2026.
- World Health Organization, Technical Note 9: How much water is needed in emergencies.
- Anglian Water, Water reuse.