Everything you need to survive an emergency situation - including no heating or power
Everything you need to survive an emergency situation - including no heating or power
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Whether it’s severe weather, another pandemic lockdown, or even potential conflict, having an emergency home kit is essential for every household. The aim is to be able to manage at home for three days – this is usually enough time for rescue help to arrive if it’s needed. A home emergency kit can also help you repair things on the spot, preventing expensive last-minute callouts and buying time for a more affordable plan.
While you can buy ready-made emergency kits, putting your own together will save you a lot of cash and help you customise it to your needs. Shop around online to get the best deals and prices, too. To make sure you have what you need in your home kit, think about the five essential needs.
These are heat, light, power, food, and water. Every household’s kit will look different, depending on how many people there are in the home and their own specific needs. The following list isn’t extensive, but should help you plan a basic kit without breaking the bank.
If the power goes out or you’re unable to use your gas boiler, staying warm becomes a priority. Make sure you have blankets to hand. You can also include hot water bottles, although power cuts would mean you couldn’t heat water for them. This also puts electric blankets or heated throws out of the window – but you can stock up on hand and feet warmers that you click to activate. It’s cheap to pick up some of the foil emergency blankets from the pound shop camping section or online. These are single use but can significantly improve retaining body heat in emergencies.
