Power cut: 7 essential items for a 72-hour emergency kit

It is 7.12 pm. Rain is hammering against the windows when, without warning, everything goes off: the broadband router, the lights, the hob and the faint hum of the fridge. An odd silence settles over the flat. You feel around for your phone, wonder how much charge remains, then remember that the torch is probably buried in a box somewhere in the cellar. We all know how an everyday power cut can turn into a small adventure within minutes. An outage will not necessarily last long, but in winter, darkness and cold rapidly change the atmosphere. It is better not to make it up as you go along.

When the house goes dark, everyday essentials suddenly matter

French Civil Security advises households to assemble a 72-hour emergency kit, allowing them to manage independently for three days during a major event. Naturally, a power cut may be short and limited to one area, but it can also form part of a wider disruption: severe weather, flooding, heavy snowfall, a storm or a problem affecting the electricity network. When that happens, familiar comforts vanish with almost ridiculous speed. There are no lights in the hallway, card payments may no longer work in some shops, and mobile coverage or communal heating can sometimes fail too. The right response is not panic, but a return to simple practical habits. Those habits begin with a few very ordinary items.

The centrepiece of this kit is drinking water. Guidance passed on by the authorities recommends roughly six litres per person: two litres a day for three days, enough for drinking, basic cooking and minimal washing. A household of four can therefore aim for 24 litres, without turning the living room into a warehouse. Bottled water kept somewhere cool and easy to reach already makes a real difference. During severe weather, electricity is not always the issue that causes concern for longest: tap water supplies may be disrupted or declared unsafe to drink. Keeping a reserve prevents a rushed trip outside in the cold or on difficult roads.

The second essential item-or rather, essential supply-is non-perishable food. Tins, fruit purées, biscuits, dried fruit, ready-to-eat soups, UHT milk and meals needing only limited heating can all be chosen to suit individual habits and dietary requirements. The aim is not to buy food nobody enjoys, only for it to sit on a shelf for ten years. It is better to use the supplies as part of normal meals and replace them as they are used. Honestly, hardly anyone does this every day. However, checking expiry dates once or twice a year, especially before winter, is enough to avoid finding a tin of ravioli forgotten since 2018.

The 7 items that can genuinely transform the first few hours of a power cut

Third on the list is a torch, ideally kept somewhere every member of the household knows about. A phone can help for a few minutes, but its torch drains valuable battery power and leaves your hands less free. A sturdy torch, tested before the cold weather arrives, lets you move about without tripping, reassure a child or safely check the consumer unit. The authorities also recommend spare batteries, making them the fourth item not to overlook. Discovering that a battery is flat just when it is needed is a particularly frustrating classic. Store them with the torch, rather than in a mysterious drawer at the other end of the home.

The fifth item is less dramatic but extremely useful: a battery-powered radio. If a power cut disrupts the internet, television and sometimes the mobile network, radio remains a direct way to follow local instructions and developments. Radio stations broadcast alerts, information about reception centres, roads to avoid and recommendations from the prefectural authorities. A compact radio is inexpensive and takes up very little room. It is also worth writing down the frequencies of local stations on paper: in the dark and without a connection, digital habits disappear surprisingly quickly. A hand-crank or dynamo radio can provide an additional option, though it does not replace a supply of batteries.

The sixth item is a way to recharge a phone: a charged power bank, a suitable cable and, if possible, a charger for the car cigarette-lighter socket. Civil Security includes the phone among the communication tools worth preserving, because it can be used to call relatives or emergency services when the situation warrants it.

“Prepare a 72-hour emergency kit”: the public authorities’ message is founded on a simple principle-keep enough supplies to live without immediate help during the first few days.

For a winter power cut, also keep the following close at hand:

• a warm blanket or warm clothing, the seventh essential item for reducing heat loss;
• personal medicines and a small first-aid kit;
• a lighter or matches, used carefully and never as part of makeshift heating;
• copies of important documents, some cash and emergency numbers written down on paper.

Preparing without alarm: a habit that reassures the whole household

An emergency blanket, a thick throw, woollen socks or a jumper reserved for the kit: the recommended seventh item may appear almost mundane, until the heating does not come back on. In cold conditions, it is better to gather everyone in one room, shut doors to unused rooms and add layers of clothing than to seek a risky alternative. Never use a barbecue, brazier or any combustion appliance indoors for warmth: carbon monoxide cannot be seen or smelled, and it can be fatal. Candles also require constant supervision and a stable surface away from fabrics.

The easiest approach is to keep the seven items together in a clearly labelled container near an exit or in an easy-to-access cupboard. Water, food, a torch, batteries, a radio, a power bank and a warm blanket: this basic set addresses the most immediate difficulties without requiring an excessive budget. Families with a baby, an older person, a pet or someone receiving treatment should add what their daily circumstances require, such as infant formula, pet food, spare glasses, prescriptions, medicines or medical equipment. This is not catastrophising. It follows the same logic as keeping an umbrella within reach when the sky turns very dark.

Before the first cold spells, take ten minutes to charge the power bank, test the radio and check that the torch genuinely switches on. Also think of vulnerable relatives, particularly those living alone: a call before the power cut can prevent a great deal of worry while it lasts. Official guidance states that 112 or 18 should be called only in an emergency, while the network operator should be contacted to report an electricity incident. At other times, conserving phone battery, listening to reliable information and staying warm will help make the wait calmer. The 72-hour kit does not promise to solve everything; it gives you more room to act, which is already significant.

Key point	Detail	Benefit for the reader
The 7 basic items	Drinking water, non-perishable food, a torch, batteries, a battery-powered radio, a power bank and a warm blanket.	Meet immediate needs: drinking, eating, seeing, getting information, communicating and retaining warmth.
The 72-hour benchmark	Civil Security recommends being able to manage for three days with an accessible emergency kit.	Avoid rushed purchases and unnecessary travel during major disruption.
Winter checks	Test the equipment, charge the power bank, replace water and food, and adapt the kit for vulnerable people.	Turn a theoretical list into a solution that can genuinely be used on the evening when everything goes dark.