UK households urged to prepare for three days of disruption under new emergency campaign

Thursday 22 October 2026

Households across Northern Ireland are being encouraged to prepare for up to three days of disruption to essential services, as the UK Government launches a new campaign to help families cope with emergencies including severe storms and power cuts.

The advice focuses on simple, affordable steps people can take before an emergency, including keeping bottled water and non-perishable food at home, and ensuring vulnerable household members are registered for additional support.

The new ‘Be Ready’ campaign comes as severe weather continues to highlight how quickly everyday services such as electricity, water, mobile phone networks and internet connections can be disrupted.

Preparing for 72 hours without essential services

At the heart of the campaign is advice for households to be prepared for three days of disruption, giving families a practical starting point for planning what they might need if normal services become temporarily unavailable.

The government is encouraging people to consider how they would manage if a storm caused a prolonged power cut, interrupted their water supply or left them unable to use their usual communications services.

Suggested preparations include:

• Keeping a small supply of bottled drinking water at home.

• Storing non-perishable food that can be eaten without cooking.

• Considering how household members would manage during a power cut or loss of water.

• Checking whether anyone in the household qualifies for additional support through the Priority Services Register.

• Making preparations in advance rather than waiting until severe weather arrives.

The advice is intended to be practical and affordable, with some measures requiring no spending at all.

Extra support for vulnerable households

One of the campaign’s key recommendations is to sign up to the Priority Services Register, which helps utility providers identify customers who may need additional assistance during an emergency.

This can include people whose age, disability, health circumstances or other vulnerabilities mean they may face greater difficulties if essential services are interrupted.

Registration is free, although eligibility and the support available depend on the relevant utility provider.

The government says encouraging households that can prepare independently to do so will also help emergency services concentrate their resources on people who need the greatest assistance.

Government says preparation can reduce pressure on emergency services

Security Minister Dan Jarvis MP said taking relatively small steps in advance could make a significant difference when emergencies occur.

“Those who can follow this advice should follow this advice. By taking simple steps to be ready for everyday emergencies like severe storms, people can reduce pressure on emergency services, helping them prioritise people who need more support in an emergency.

“This is just the sort of community-focused campaign the UK needs to improve our resilience as a nation. It will bring us into line with European counterparts, where advice like this is a normal part of everyday life.”

Lessons from severe weather and other countries

The campaign follows storms last winter and wildfires during the summer, which demonstrated how extreme weather can affect infrastructure and disrupt services that people rely upon every day.

The government has also drawn on approaches already used in France, Ireland and the Netherlands, where similar public information campaigns encourage households to prepare for three days of disruption.

Although the campaign is being launched under new branding, household resilience guidance has been available through the UK Government since May 2024. Much of the underlying advice remains unchanged.

The new initiative will run over three years, with more than 500 organisations, including charities and businesses, already signed up to share information within their communities.

Social media and radio advertising will be introduced over the coming weeks and months, with particular attention given to families with young children and older people who may face additional challenges during emergencies.

British Red Cross encourages community preparation

The British Red Cross has welcomed the emphasis on helping individuals and communities prepare before emergencies happen.

Laura Scott, the charity’s Director for UK Resilience, said:

“We can’t control when emergencies happen, but we can all take some simple steps to be prepared, so that when they do, we are ready to help our friends, families and neighbours.

“We know from our work across the UK that local people know their communities best and want to play a part when a crisis happens. Having clear and trusted advice for people, especially those who may be more at-risk, could help reduce the impact of crises and even save lives.”

The campaign has been developed with input from charities and organisations representing people who may face particular difficulties preparing for emergencies, including those experiencing insecure housing or relying on foodbanks.

Where to find the emergency preparedness advice

Households can access the government’s updated guidance, including practical steps for preparing for disruption to everyday services, at GOV.UK/BeReady.

The advice is designed to help people make manageable preparations over time, rather than requiring households to purchase expensive emergency equipment or assemble extensive supplies immediately.

For families across Ballymena and the wider Northern Ireland community, the message is straightforward: taking a few simple steps now could make it easier to manage if severe weather interrupts essential services in the days ahead.