A few basic supplies will mean that you can easily sit tight in the event of an emergency.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has urged British households to ensure they maintain a supply of items to ensure they have what’s needed to get through an emergency situation.
He explained that unexpected events "seem to becoming more common" and everyone should have "those supplies in the house to get you through those moments".
It’s part of the govenment’s new ‘Be Ready’ campaign, which recommends having food, water, and other items, to get through three days “while support reaches those in need”.
The campaign suggests a five-point plan to be prepared, namely:
- See what you already have: Check your cupboards first to see what essentials you already keep at home.
- Plan for your household: Note down what you still need, remembering items your family relies on, such as medical supplies, baby formula or pet food.
- Build it gradually: Pick up missing items when you can during your regular shopping trips to help spread the cost.
- Check it regularly: Set a reminder every six months to check expiry dates and swap out items that need replacing, or update your kit if your household’s needs have changed.
- Connect with your community: Talk to your neighbours about what extra support you might be able to share during an outage, and swap contact details.
And they have provided a handy checklist of items to pick up and store away in case of the worst, which you can access here.
Here are all 15 items you should store away in case of emergency.
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1. Bottled water
In case water supplies are disrupted, it's recommended that households have enough bottled water to last three days. That equates to a minimum of nine litres per person, with ideally additional supplies for cooking and washing. | Canva/Getty Images
2. Food
A stockpile of enough food to last three days is the recommendation. These should be non-perishable items with a long shelf life that doesn’t need refrigeration or cooking. We're talking. tinned meat, fish or vegetables, dried fruit and nuts. Just make sure you have stuff you actually enjoy eating. | Canva/Getty Images
3. Hygiene products
We all became ovely-familiar with hand sanitiser during the global pandemic and it's important to have a supply abailable to help keep clean ir water supplies are cut off. A supply of wet wipes is a good idea too. | Canva/Getty Images
4. Bathroom products
It's always the toilet paper that gets the headlines, but you should be sure to have a supply of other bathroom essentials such as snaitary products, toothpaste and soap. | Canva/Getty Images