For a household power cut, plan for separate ways to charge essential phones, receive updates and find light: a compatible, maintained power bank, a battery or wind-up radio, and a torch with an appropriate power source. UK government preparedness guidance warns that internet and possibly mobile signal can be lost, so a charged phone is not a complete communications plan. If someone relies on a digital landline or telecare, speak to the communications provider about backup arrangements before relying on retail equipment.
The right starting point depends on how your household normally makes contact and receives information.
Keep a charged power bank, the correct cables and written key numbers together. Check the bank against the phones you need to charge, but allow for the possibility that mobile signal will be unavailable during a power cut, as UK government preparedness guidance notes.
A battery or wind-up radio provides another way to receive updates, while a dedicated torch leaves phone charge for communication. Check how each item is powered and keep compatible spare batteries where the equipment accepts them.
If a landline, care alarm or other device connected to the telephone line is essential, ask the communications provider about the service and equipment’s backup arrangements. Ofcom also advises telling the provider before a digital-landline change if there is no mobile phone or insufficient mobile signal at home to call emergency services. A retail power bank does not replace that conversation.
Start with any essential communication service, then check charging, updates and lighting as separate needs. For battery-powered items, include a plan to keep them ready between outages.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Provider backup | Tell your provider about a landline-connected alarm or care device, or inadequate mobile signal. Ask what backup applies to your service and whether connected equipment will work with it. | I depend on a landline or connected alarm for essential contact. I need the provider’s arrangements checked before treating a household kit as backup. |
| Phone charging | Compare the power bank’s stated capacity with the phones and charging sessions you have in mind. Check each device’s charging requirements against the bank’s output, ports and cables; Electrical Safety First distinguishes capacity from output power. | Several people may need to keep essential phones charged. I want to know that the bank and cables fit those phones, without assuming charging will restore mobile service. |
| Offline updates | Check which radio services you can receive locally and how the radio is powered. If it uses replaceable cells, confirm their size; if it has alternative charging methods, check the exact model’s instructions. | If broadband or mobile service is disrupted, I want a way to hear updates without using my phone. UK government preparedness guidance recommends keeping a battery or wind-up radio. |
| Dedicated light | Choose a torch you can find in the dark. Check whether it needs compatible spare cells or a charged internal battery, and store its power source with the kit. | I want light without running down a phone that may be needed for calls or messages. |
| Battery compatibility | Match spare-cell size and type to the radio or torch instructions. For rechargeable cells, check how they will be charged before an outage; do not transfer a torch’s battery choice to safety-critical equipment. | I need spare batteries that fit my actual equipment, rather than cells chosen solely by pack size or stated capacity. |
| Storage and upkeep | Follow each product’s storage and charging instructions, inspect it periodically, and protect batteries from damage, water and extreme temperatures. London Fire Brigade identifies these as battery-safety concerns. | My kit may sit unused for months, so I need a routine that makes it easy to check its condition and charge before I depend on it. |
A power bank can charge a compatible device, but UK government preparedness guidance warns that a power cut may also interrupt internet and mobile signal. It does not establish backup for a landline-connected alarm.
Keep a radio and written key numbers alongside phone charging. If anyone relies on telecare or a landline, discuss backup and equipment compatibility with the communications provider.
Electrical Safety First explains that capacity affects the number of possible device recharges, while output power affects charging speed. Capacity alone does not establish that the ports and cables suit an essential device.
List the devices you need to charge, then compare their documented requirements with the exact bank’s outputs, ports and cables. Check the model’s stated behaviour if you intend to connect several devices at once.
A kit is harder to use if its rechargeable items have not been maintained. Damaged, wet or improperly charged batteries can also present a fire risk, according to London Fire Brigade.
Set a reminder to inspect and charge items according to their own instructions. Keep batteries away from water and extreme temperatures, and stop using a pack that is swollen or damaged.
UK Office for Product Safety and Standards guidance says batteries and electrical products marked with the crossed-out wheelie bin should not go into household rubbish.
Use a suitable battery collection or electrical-waste route. The guidance also advises ideally taping lithium-battery terminals before recycling; treat a power bank with a non-removable battery as electrical waste.
These brand examples illustrate different parts of a kit; a feature on one named product should not be assumed across a brand’s range.
Anker offers power banks and publishes guidance on maintaining them during extended non-use.
Belkin’s UK power-bank range includes models with different stated capacities and outputs for phone and higher-output device charging.
Roberts Radio offers portable radios relevant to the offline-updates part of a household kit.
Duracell makes replaceable and rechargeable cells for equipment such as compatible torches and radios.
These options cover portable phone charging and rechargeable AA cells for equipment that accepts them. A power-cut kit also needs a suitable way to receive updates and a dedicated light; these products do not provide those functions by themselves.
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A charger-and-cell option for a household with equipment that accepts rechargeable AA batteries. The bundle names four 2000mAh AA cells and a UK charger; check the radio or torch instructions for battery compatibility, and recharge the cells before an outage.
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A portable-charging option for essential phones. The named capacity is 20000mAh and the cable is integrated; check its connector and output against each phone you expect to charge. Stored power will not ensure mobile signal during an outage.
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Another portable-charging option, with a named 10000mAh capacity, integrated cable and 33W rating. Check the exact output and cable against your essential devices; the rating does not by itself establish how a particular phone will charge.
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A set of rechargeable AA cells for compatible household equipment. Check your radio or torch’s required battery type and how you will recharge the cells before an outage; do not assume a charger comes with this pack.
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Four rechargeable AA cells for a torch or radio whose instructions permit them. Confirm battery compatibility and a suitable way to recharge them before relying on the pack; follow separate instructions for safety-critical devices.
No: it can charge compatible devices, but it cannot keep the mobile network or home broadband working. UK government preparedness guidance warns that internet and possibly mobile signal may be lost, so keep written key numbers and a battery or wind-up radio as separate measures.
Speak to the provider before relying on retail backup if someone uses telecare, a personal alarm or another device connected to the telephone line. Ofcom also advises telling the provider before a digital-landline change if you have no mobile phone or insufficient signal at home to call emergency services. Ask what backup applies to your service and equipment.
Start with the devices and charging sessions you need to cover, then check the exact bank’s capacity, output, ports and cables against each device’s requirements. Electrical Safety First explains that capacity affects potential recharges before the bank needs recharging, whereas output power affects charging speed; a USB-C connector alone does not settle device compatibility.
Inspect and recharge its batteries according to each product’s instructions, and keep them away from damage, water and extreme temperatures. Anker Support recommends about 60% charge and recharging every three months for an Anker power bank in extended non-use; use your own model’s instructions rather than treating that interval as a rule for every product.
Check the torch or radio manufacturer’s required battery size and type first. Duracell says its rechargeable round cells can generally be used where alkaline cells are used unless the equipment manufacturer says otherwise; that advice should not be carried over to smoke alarms or other safety-critical equipment without following their own instructions.