Households encouraged to take small, simple steps to stay prepared in an emergency.

Households are being encouraged to take a few simple steps to stay prepared if everyday services are temporarily disrupted.

The Government’s new advice is the first stage of the ‘Be Ready’ campaign. This will help households across Britain be better prepared for events such as severe weather, which can occasionally affect services including power, water, phones and the internet.

The campaign focuses on straightforward things people can do in advance, including signing up to the Priority Services Register - a service that helps gas, water, and electricity companies identify customers that may need extra support in an emergency - and keeping a small supply of non-perishable food and bottled water at home. 

With storms last winter and the wildfires this summer showing how severe weather events can cause disruption to our everyday lives and impact the services we rely on, from phone signal to water and the internet, this campaign brings Britain into line with European peers who all run similar campaigns already. 

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. 

We cannot 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. 

Find out if you are eligible to join the Priority Services Register here: https://www.thepsr.co.uk/