The UK’s New 3-Day Emergency Checklist — and How to Use It for Your Family
United Kingdom · Be ReadyThe UK government’s 3-day household checklist, adapted for your family.
On October 22, the UK government launched “Be Ready,” a three-year campaign asking households to be ready to manage for three days if power, water or phones are disrupted. Its checklist is short, practical and a useful model for any family. Here is what is on it, how it compares with US and Canadian 72-hour kit advice, and how to adapt it at home.
Start with the basics: get our free one-page 72-hour go-bag checklist (printable), or read the full 72-hour go-bag checklist online.
This article is part of our series on what governments around the world tell families to stockpile.
What the UK Launched on October 22
On October 22, 2026, the UK Cabinet Office published updated household advice as the first stage of a three-year “Be Ready” campaign. The aim is simple: help families manage if everyday services like power, water, phones and the internet are disrupted for a while, for example by severe weather.
The heart of the advice is to be ready for three days of disruption, the same benchmark the government says France, Ireland and the Netherlands use. Security Minister Dan Jarvis said that when households who can prepare do so, emergency services can focus on the people who need more help.
“Being ready for 3 days helps you manage while support reaches those most in need.” — Be Ready checklist, GOV.UK campaign site
There is no specific threat behind it. The government points to last winter’s storms and this summer’s wildfires as the kind of everyday disruption it has in mind.
What Is on the UK’s 3-Day Emergency Kit Checklist
Here is the official Be Ready checklist, summarized:
- Water: bottled water for 3 days, 3 litres per person per day for drinking, with more needed for cooking and washing.
- Food: 3 days of non-perishable food that needs no fridge or cooking, such as tinned meat, fish or vegetables, dried fruit and nuts. Buy what you usually eat.
- Hygiene: hand sanitiser, wet wipes and bathroom products.
- Light and warmth: a torch (flashlight) and spare batteries, which the UK calls safer than candles, plus blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothing.
- Communication: a battery or wind-up FM radio, with your local station frequencies written down, and a charged power bank.
- Money and documents: cash in a mix of coins and notes plus cards, printed copies of IDs and key documents, and a written list of phone numbers and regular medications.
- Medical: a first aid kit and essential medication, ordering repeat prescriptions up to 5 working days ahead.
- Baby: ready-made, “ready-to-feed” formula, because you may not be able to boil water for powdered formula, plus nappies (diapers) and wipes.
- Pets: pet food and bottled water.
The UK also says to set a reminder every six months to check expiry dates, and to build the kit gradually during regular shopping trips instead of buying everything at once.
The Free Step Most Families Skip: Priority Services Registration
One step on the UK list costs nothing: signing up for the Priority Services Register, which tells electricity, gas and water companies that a household needs extra support during an outage. The UK says many households qualify, including those with children under 5.
North America has no single national register, but many utilities run something similar, often called a medical certificate, life-support or critical-care program. If someone in your home relies on powered medical equipment, call your power company and ask what they offer. While you are at it, write down your utility outage number on paper, which the UK advice also recommends.
UK vs US vs Canada: Emergency Kit Checklists Side by Side
All three governments agree on the basics. The differences are mostly in the details.
| UK (Be Ready) | US (Ready.gov) | Canada (Canada.ca) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How long | 3 days | Several days; 3 days is the common starting point | At least 72 hours |
| Water | 3 L per person per day, for drinking | 1 gallon (about 3.8 L) per person per day, for drinking and sanitation | 2 L per person per day for drinking, cooking and hygiene (Health Canada suggests 2 L more for cooking and cleaning) |
| Food | No-cook, non-perishable food you usually eat | Several-day supply of non-perishable food, manual can opener | Non-perishable food, manual can opener |
| Cash | Coins and notes, plus cards | Cash or traveler’s checks | Cash in small bills |
| Documents | Printed copies of IDs and key documents | Copies of important documents | Copies of important documents |
| Babies | Ready-to-feed formula | Infant formula, bottles, diapers | Baby supplies |
| Checks | Every 6 months | Replace self-stored water every 6 months; rethink the kit yearly | Replace stored food once a year |
Sources: GOV.UK Be Ready, Ready.gov and Get Prepared (Canada.ca). See how more countries compare in our guide to what governments around the world recommend.
How to Use the UK Checklist for Your North American Family
The UK list translates well. A few simple adjustments:
- Water in gallons: the UK’s 3 litres is close to 0.8 gallon. Ready.gov’s one gallon per person per day covers drinking plus sanitation, so a family of four needs 12 gallons for three days.
- Small bills and coins: card readers and ATMs can go down in an outage. Keep a little cash in small denominations.
- Paper copies: print your IDs, insurance details and medication list and keep them with your kit.
- Ready-to-feed formula: if you have a baby, keep a few days of liquid formula so you do not depend on clean, boiled water.
- Cold weather: the UK warns homes get cold fast without heating. Blankets and warm layers matter in a North American winter too; see our winter power outage checklist.
- A six-month reminder: put two dates in your phone, for example when the clocks change in spring and fall.
If you would rather not build all this from scratch, the Family Guard binder has it ready-made, with fill-in pages for supplies, contacts and medical details, for a nominal one-time $39.
Beyond the Kit: The Rest of the UK Advice
The UK campaign goes beyond supplies. It also asks households to:
- Sign up for local alerts and learn the risks in your area
- Make a household plan with a meeting point if you cannot get home or reach each other
- Know how to turn off gas, electricity and water
- Keep a grab bag ready in case you need to leave quickly
- Swap contact details with neighbours and check on anyone who may need extra help
Our family emergency plan and household evacuation plan guides walk through these steps. The Family Guard binder puts the plan, contacts and checklists in one printable place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the UK Be Ready Campaign?
Be Ready is a UK government campaign launched by the Cabinet Office on October 22, 2026. It is the first stage of a three-year effort to help households prepare for disruption to services like power, water, phones and the internet, built around being ready for three days.
How Much Water Does the UK Recommend Storing?
The UK Be Ready checklist recommends bottled water for 3 days, at 3 litres per person per day for drinking, and notes that more is needed for cooking and washing. Ready.gov in the US recommends one gallon per person per day for drinking and sanitation.
Why Does the UK Recommend Ready-to-Feed Baby Formula?
The checklist says ready-made or ready-to-feed formula is best because during an emergency you may not be able to boil water to make up powdered formula safely.
Is a 3-Day Emergency Kit the Same as a 72-Hour Kit?
Yes. Three days and 72 hours mean the same thing. The UK, the US starting point and Canada all use it as the minimum, while some countries, like Norway and Taiwan, now suggest a week.
How Often Should I Check My Emergency Kit?
The UK advises setting a reminder every six months to check expiry dates and swap out anything that needs replacing, or to update the kit if your household's needs change.
Official Guidance Used on This Page
- GOV.UK, October 22, 2026: Households encouraged to take small, simple steps to stay prepared in an emergency
- Be ready for emergencies and the Be Ready checklist, GOV.UK campaign site
- Build a Kit, Ready.gov (FEMA)
- Water, Ready.gov (FEMA)
- Emergency Kit Checklist, Government of Canada (Get Prepared)
- Food and Drinking Water Safety in an Emergency, Health Canada
This page is general household guidance. Always follow instructions from local emergency officials first.