---
title: "Power Cut Checklist: What to Do in an Outage | Watt Cottage"
description: "What to do in a power cut, before, during and after, from Ready.gov and UK government advice, with fridge and freezer timers and a printable door card."
url: https://wattcottage.me/power-cut-checklist/
---

Power cut checklist

# What to do in a power cut

Report it, keep the fridge and freezer shut, and stay safe while you wait. In England, Scotland and Wales call **105** (free); in Northern Ireland, **03457 643643**; in the US, contact your electric utility. A closed fridge keeps food safe for **about 4 hours**, a full freezer **about 48 hours** and a half-full one **about 24**. Switch off irons, ovens and heaters, unplug the TV and computer against a surge when the power returns, use torches rather than candles, and run any generator outdoors only.

## The checklist

From Ready.gov and FEMA in the US, and the UK government’s Be Ready campaign, the Food Standards Agency and Ofgem. Tick items as you go, or print it for the kitchen drawer.

### Before

- Keep a battery or wind-up torch for everyone, with spare batteries. Torches are safer than candles.
- Write down the number to report a cut: 105 in England, Scotland and Wales, 03457 643643 in Northern Ireland, or your US utility’s outage line.
- Keep phones and power banks charged, and find out whether your home phone works in a power cut.
- Medical equipment that needs power? Make a plan with your care provider, and join the Priority Services Register (UK) or ask your utility about medical programmes (US).
- Fit carbon monoxide and smoke alarms with battery backup on every level, and test them monthly.
- Put a thermometer in the fridge and the freezer. Keep the freezer full and food grouped together.
- Keep at least 3 days’ bottled water and food that needs no cooking. Fill the car’s tank before forecast storms.

### During

- Report the cut: online, or 105 (free) in Great Britain; your utility in the US.
- Keep fridge and freezer doors shut. Note the time the power went off.
- Switch off irons, ovens, electric fires and fryers. Unplug the TV and computer against a surge when power returns.
- Use torches, not candles. Never heat the home with a gas stove or oven.
- Generators, camp stoves and grills outdoors only, at least 20 feet from windows, doors and garages. Never run a car in a garage.
- Check on neighbours. If it’s bitterly cold, go somewhere with heat.

### After

- Fridge without power for more than 4 hours: throw out meat, fish, milk, eggs, soft cheese and leftovers. Never taste to check.
- Freezer food with ice crystals, or at 40 °F (4 °C) or below, can be refrozen.
- Refrigerated medicines: if the power was off for more than a day, ask your pharmacist or doctor.
- When in doubt, throw it out.

## Who to call

In England, Scotland and Wales, 105 is the free number for power cuts. The UK government’s Be Ready campaign says to report online if you can, or call 105, and gives 03457 643643 for Northern Ireland. In the US, contact your electric utility. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, the CPSC says to get outside immediately and call 911; if you smell gas, leave the home and contact the gas authorities from outside. In the UK, the NHS says to call 999 if someone has symptoms such as trouble breathing or confusion, and gives the National Gas Helpline, 0800 111 999, for a gas appliance that may be leaking.

## The food rules

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service says a refrigerator keeps food safe for up to 4 hours if the door stays shut, a full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours and a half-full one about 24. The UK Food Standards Agency gives the same times. They differ on the fridge temperature: USDA says to keep the fridge at 40 °F (4 °C) or below and discard perishable food, such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk and soft cheeses, leftovers and cut fruit, after the fridge has been without power for more than 4 hours. The FSA says chilled food must stay below 8 °C, and once the fridge reaches 8 °C you should eat food that needs refrigeration within 4 hours or throw it away. It also suggests an order for eating: chilled food first, then defrosted frozen food that needs no cooking, then room-temperature perishables, then tins and dried food.

How long food stays safe with the doors kept shut, from USDA FSIS and the UK Food Standards Agency.

FSIS adds that thawed freezer food that still has ice crystals, or has stayed at 40 °F or below, may be refrozen, though its quality may suffer. Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic-foot freezer for 2 days; never touch dry ice with bare hands or let it touch food. The FSA notes that if the weather is below 8 °C you can store food outside; FEMA’s US advice is not to store food outside or in the snow during cold weather, so a cooler with ice is the safer choice there. Ready.gov says that if the power is out for more than a day, refrigerated medication should be discarded unless its label says otherwise, and to ask your doctor or pharmacist for a new supply.

## Keeping warm, and keeping safe

If a winter storm keeps the power off for long, stay warm safely. Ready.gov says not to use a gas stove or oven to heat the home, because it raises the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, and to go to a community location with power if the cold is extreme. FEMA says generators, camp stoves and charcoal grills belong outdoors, at least 20 feet from windows, doors and garages, and never to leave a vehicle running inside a garage, even with the door open. Be Ready suggests checking in on neighbours and sharing blankets or supplies if you can. If you heat with wood, Cedar Whisper’s [wood stove size calculator](https://cedarwhisper.homes/wood-stove-size-calculator/) and firewood guides help you plan the woodpile; for a full emergency kit and grab bag, see [Pack Whistle](https://packwhistle.me/).

## Medical equipment and the Priority Services Register

If someone relies on equipment that needs power, the Be Ready campaign and Ready.gov both say to make a plan with your care provider. In the UK, Ofgem says your energy supplier and your network operator both keep a Priority Services Register; people who use medical equipment that needs a power supply can join, and the help includes priority support in an emergency and, wherever possible, advance notice of planned power cuts. Contact your supplier or network operator to join, and again if you switch supplier. In the US, ask your utility whether it has a medical or life-support customer programme. Don’t rely on an estimate for a medical device’s battery: follow its maker’s guidance.

## Common mistakes

- **Opening the fridge to check.** The times above assume the doors stay shut. Use a thermometer you can read quickly.
- **Tasting food to see if it’s safe.** FSIS says never to taste food to judge its safety.
- **Running the generator in the garage “just for a bit”.** Carbon monoxide can build up to deadly levels within minutes; the CPSC says outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house.
- **Leaving heaters and ovens on.** Switch them off, so nothing starts up unattended when the power comes back.

Thinking of backup power for next time? Start with the [generator size calculator](https://wattcottage.me/) or the [power station runtime calculator](https://wattcottage.me/power-station-runtime-calculator/).

## Sources

All checked on 5 November 2026.

- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: [Keep your food safe during emergencies](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/emergencies/keep-your-food-safe-during-emergencies) (last updated 7 August 2013).
- Food Standards Agency: [Food safety in a power cut: advice for consumers](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/food-safety-in-a-power-cut-advice-for-consumers/food-safety-in-a-power-cut-advice-for-consumers) (published 26 July 2023).
- UK Government, Be Ready: [Power cuts](https://beready.campaign.gov.uk/be-informed-about-hazards/power-cuts/).
- Ofgem: [Join your supplier’s Priority Services Register](https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/your-energy-supply/how-manage-your-energy-supply/join-your-suppliers-priority-services-register).
- Ready.gov: [Power outages](https://www.ready.gov/power-outages) (last updated 4 June 2026) and FEMA: [Be prepared for a power outage](https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2024-08/ready.gov_power-outage_info-sheet.pdf) (FEMA V-1008, December 2023).
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission: [Winter weather safety tips](https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2026/CPSC-Issues-Winter-Weather-Safety-Tips-to-Prevent-Fires-and-Carbon-Monoxide-Poisoning) (16 March 2026) and [Portable generator hazards](https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/Portable_Generator_Safety_Alert_2017_5123.pdf) (revised September 2017).
- CDC: [What to do to protect yourself during a power outage](https://www.cdc.gov/natural-disasters/response/what-to-do-protect-yourself-during-a-power-outage.html) (reviewed 26 August 2026).
- NHS: [Carbon monoxide poisoning](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/carbon-monoxide-poisoning/) (reviewed 16 December 2025).

## Questions

**How long will food last in the fridge without power?**

About 4 hours with the door kept shut, say both USDA FSIS and the UK Food Standards Agency. After that, USDA says to discard perishable food such as meat, fish, milk, eggs, soft cheese and leftovers; the FSA says to eat or discard chilled food within 4 hours of the fridge reaching 8 °C.

**How long does a freezer stay frozen in a power cut?**

About 48 hours if it is full and 24 hours if it is half full, with the door kept shut. Food that still has ice crystals, or has stayed at 40 °F (4 °C) or below, may be refrozen, says USDA FSIS, though its quality may suffer.

**What number do I call in a power cut in the UK?**

105, free, in England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland the UK government’s Be Ready campaign gives 03457 643643. You can usually report a power cut online too.

**Should I unplug appliances during a power cut?**

Yes, some. The UK’s Be Ready campaign says to turn off irons, ovens, electric fires and fryers, and to unplug the TV and computer because they can be damaged by a surge when power returns. Ready.gov also says to disconnect appliances and electronics.

**Is it safe to use candles in a power cut?**

Torches are safer. The UK’s Be Ready campaign says torches are safer than candles, and the US CPSC suggests flashlights or battery-operated candles. If you do use candles, keep them away from anything that can catch fire and never leave them unattended.