Never Caught OutIndependent UK guide Crisis

Long haul · Caring

Caring for children, older relatives and people who need extra help

Disruption hits hardest for people who rely on power, medicines or another person. A plan agreed in advance takes much of the strain out of it.

First draftDrafted 1 November 2026Applies across the UK. Northern Ireland uses Customer Care Registers.

Priority Services Register

Be Ready says the Priority Services Register lets electricity, gas and water providers know you need extra support, including during an interruption. Many households are eligible, including those with children under 5. In Northern Ireland these are called Customer Care Registers.

Medicines and medical equipment

We do not give medical advice. Ask your pharmacist, GP or equipment provider what to do if power or supplies are disrupted, and write down their answer in your plan. Be Ready advises requesting repeat prescriptions up to 5 working days before you need them, and keeping a written list of medication and doses.

Babies and children

Be Ready says ready-to-feed formula is best, because you may not be able to boil water to make up powdered formula. Check your child’s school or childcare has your current contact numbers. Help children learn their address and a parent’s phone number.

Older relatives and people who live alone

Agree a back-up plan: if you cannot call, you or someone they trust will visit. Ask their neighbours to check on them. Remind them to follow the emergency services if asked to leave their home.

Warmth

The NHS advises heating rooms to at least 18°C if you can, which matters most for people with health conditions. See staying warm without mains power.

Pets

Store pet food and water. Ask your vet how much water your pet needs.

Kit for this guide

For dependants. All research-based.

  • Medication list and doses on paper Research-based
  • Baby formula, ready-to-feed Research-based
  • Nappies and wipes Research-based
  • Pet food and water Research-based
  • First aid kit Research-based

No products, brands or prices yet, and no affiliate links. What “Research-based” and “Tested by us” mean.

Official sources we used

  1. Be ready for emergencies, including the Be Ready checklist (UK Government, Be Ready)
  2. Priority Services Register (Energy Networks Association and water companies)
  3. Making up baby formula (NHS)
  4. Keep warm, keep well (NHS)

We link to official pages so you can check the latest advice yourself. If something here differs from what an official source says now, follow the official source. Where we quote or adapt official text, it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

First draft

This is a first draft. It is built from the official sources listed above, but we have not finished reviewing it. If anything here differs from official advice, follow the official source.