UK STATUS7 hosepipe bans in force·Reservoirs 78.8%·3 areas in prolonged dry weather·NRR: power outage rated catastrophicUpdated 23 Jul 2026
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Area dossier · Wales

Cardiff: what to plan for

These figures cover the whole Cardiff council area, not a single street.

Also covers Llandaff, Roath and surrounding villages.

Right now in this area
One thing to plan for
1 of 5 surfaced layers need planning
Live feeds refresh every 6 hours

Power cuts

Power cuts affect every household eventually.

Your electricity network here is National Grid Electricity Distribution. Right now it is working 18 live faults affecting 572 customers across its region.

What reduces it: Call 105 free from any phone to report a cut and reach your network. If anyone in the house relies on mains electricity for medical equipment, join your network's Priority Services Register — it is free and it moves you up the restoration list.

Source: NESO — GIS Boundaries for GB DNO Licence Areas (May 2024) · licence areas as at May 2024 · Open Government Licence

Vehicle security

Worth acting on

Vehicle crime is recorded well above the national average here.

7.47 vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents — 53% above the England & Wales average.

What reduces it: Keyless-entry relay theft is the growth area, and a signal-blocking pouch for the fob costs a few pounds. For older vehicles a visible steering lock remains the most effective deterrent, and a dashcam helps any subsequent claim.

Vehicle cover

Where vehicle crime runs high, insurers price it in — a dashcam, off-street parking and a visible deterrent all help the premium as well as the risk.

Kit we've reviewed for this

Source: Home Office police recorded crime open data (Community Safety Partnership tables) · year ending March 2026 (police recorded crime) · Open Government Licence

Water supply

Below-average concern

No water restrictions are currently in force in this supply area.

Supplied mainly by Dwr Cymru Welsh Water. No hosepipe ban or usage restriction is currently in force. Supply zones do not follow council boundaries — parts of this area may be served by a neighbouring company.

What reduces it: A stored supply of drinking water covers both a mains burst and a boil-water notice. Official guidance is 10 litres per person per day; a few sealed containers in a cupboard is the whole job.

Source: Environment Agency — Water Resource Zones · current WRMP planning zones · Open Government Licence

Home security

Below-average concern

Burglary is recorded below the national average here.

1.77 recorded burglaries per 1,000 residents — 28% below the England & Wales average.

What reduces it: Most domestic burglaries are opportunistic entry at a door or ground-floor window. Insurance-rated locks, lighting on a timer and a recorded doorbell are the measures that measurably reduce it — and most insurers ask about all three.

Home insurance

Burglary rates and flood risk both feed a home-insurance premium. Compare with accurate local details rather than guessing — and if you are in a flood-risk area, check the insurer uses Flood Re.

Source: Home Office police recorded crime open data (Community Safety Partnership tables) · year ending March 2026 (police recorded crime) · Open Government Licence

Older residents

Below-average concern

A smaller share of residents here are over 65 than nationally.

14.6% of residents are 65 or over, against 18.9% nationally.

What reduces it: Cold homes and power cuts hit older households hardest. The Priority Services Register, a checked-in-on neighbour and a working carbon monoxide alarm cover most of the real risk — all three are free or close to it.

Looking after older residents

For anyone relying on mains power for medical equipment, the Priority Services Register is free and moves the household up the reconnection queue.

Source: ONS mid-year population estimates via Nomis (NM_31_1) · 2024 · Open Government Licence

What this means for your household

Cardiff's numbers — with Llandaff and Roath — split cleanly: quiet on homes, busy on cars. Burglary runs 28% below the England and Wales average, but vehicle crime is 53% above, and that asymmetry writes the advice for you. The car items are cheap and specific: nothing visible inside, a signal-blocking pouch if the car unlocks by proximity, a visible steering lock for older vehicles, and off-street parking used whenever it exists. Home security at Cardiff's rates is about consistency rather than upgrades. One honest note on this dossier: flood-risk assessment for Wales is published by Natural Resources Wales rather than the Environment Agency, so this page doesn't yet carry a comparable flood figure — riverside households near the Taff shouldn't read absence as all-clear, and NRW's free warnings service is the direct route. The city is young, with 14.6% of residents over 65 against 18.9% nationally. Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water supplies Cardiff with no restrictions currently in force, and National Grid Electricity Distribution covers power — 105 from any phone, with a free Priority Services Register for households that need reconnection priority.

How this page works

Every figure comes from official open data — police recorded crime (year ending March 2026 (police recorded crime)), ONS population estimates, Environment Agency and industry boundary data — joined to live feeds that refresh every six hours. Comparisons are computed, not written, and each block names its source. The page shows this area's most relevant risks, not every risk: layers below the area's profile are left out rather than padded in.

We may earn a commission when you buy through our links — it never affects what we recommend, and we buy everything we test.

Get alerts for Cardiff

When a flood warning, hosepipe ban or severe weather alert covers this area, we email — that's it, nothing else.