How to prepare in case of a nationwide power cut in the UK

Power outages across Spain and Portugal sparked travel chaos and left many without water, wifi or any mobile network for hours.

But as experts warn the UK has “important lessons to learn” from the nationwide power cuts, we look at what you should do if you’re left facing a blackout at home.

Electricity outages can have a number of causes, including severe weather. Although many power cuts are local and short-lived, widespread outages like those in Spain and Portugal can occur.

In this instance, gas boilers and hobs, heat pumps and your home internet won’t work without power. Your mobile phone might stop working if your local mast is in the affected area. The mains water supply to your home could also be disrupted.

However, there are some simple precautions you can take to prepare and deal with the situation.

The government website advises keeping multiple torches and extra batteries on hand and a portable charger for your mobile phone so you can make calls in case of an emergency.

It also suggests keeping some bottled water and non-perishable food that doesn’t need cooking, such as ready-to-eat tinned veg, fruit or meat in the cupboard.

If you rely on power for your healthcare, such as for a diabetes sensor or other equipment used to monitor your health, you should contact your device provider to understand how they would function during a power cut.

During a power cut, the government advises people to keep their fridge and freezer doors closed, with a blanket over them to keep them cool.

Keep any doors of unused rooms closed, and close the curtains to keep the heat in if needed in winter.

You should also switch off appliances such as irons, ovens and electric fires as they could cause problems if the power comes back on when you are out, and turn off your TV and computer as they can be damaged if there is a surge when the power comes back on.

You should also keep away from hazards such as power lines.

Because phone signal and wifi can be down during a power cut, to get news updates you will need to use a battery or wind-up radio and search for stations that are still broadcasting. But it is not advised to use the radio in your car if the power cut was caused by severe weather.

If you have a power cut, don’t have a back-up to your landline phone and you have a life-threatening emergency, you should attempt to call 999 or 112 using a mobile. Even if your network is down, you might receive an overlapping signal from a nearby area that is unaffected.