Kit for an older relative
An emergency kit for an older person living at home, put together by family or carers: sized for one or two people and a few days, and mostly things already in the house.
Most of what an older person needs in a power cut, a cold snap or a burst main is already in the house. This list sizes the few things that scale with people and days, and points at two free jobs that are easy to put off: a contacts list on paper and the Priority Services Register.
It follows GOV.UK Prepare’s kit list and its advice for carers, Age UK’s winter guide, and NHS and UKHSA cold-weather guidance. Set it for one or two people and a few days, tick what is already there, and buy only the gaps. For the rest of your own household, use the 72-hour kit builder.
Who is this for?
Your list: 15 items, 10 essential
You probably own some of this already: only buy the gaps. Each price shows when it was checked.
- Written list of medicinesEssential
If they are taken ill, or a pharmacy is shut, whoever helps needs to know what they take. GOV.UK Prepare’s advice for carers asks for details of regular medication and where it is stored; a written list is the simplest way to have that to hand.
One list: each medicine’s name and strength and when it is taken, copied from the pharmacy labels, plus where it is kept. Ask their pharmacist to look it over. Keep it with the contacts list, as GOV.UK Prepare suggests. No official guidance sets a format beyond writing it down.
- Enough repeat medicationEssential
GOV.UK Prepare says to have enough of the medication you need to keep you going for several days. A small buffer, ordered in time, is the whole of it: taken as prescribed, never rationed.
A few days in hand, not a stockpile. The NHS says to request a repeat prescription up to five working days before the medicine is needed, and the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England ask people to avoid ordering more than they need until their next prescription. Age UK suggests asking the pharmacy whether it delivers; there may be a charge. If anything lives in the fridge, see fridge medicines in a power cut.
Medicine shortages: order in time, never stockpile → - Spare glassesOptional
Ready Scotland, Northern Ireland’s official household kit list and the British Red Cross all include a spare pair of glasses or contact lenses. Without them, reading a label or a phone screen by torchlight gets much harder.
One spare pair for anyone who wears them. This is a general kit item rather than an age-specific recommendation, so it is optional here.
- Spare hearing-aid batteriesOptional
GOV.UK Prepare’s advice for carers: have spare batteries for hearing and assisted communications devices. A dead hearing aid cuts someone off from the radio, the phone and the person at the door.
Only if they wear hearing aids. For aids that take disposable batteries, RNID says they are usually changed about once a week, so keep a spare pack in the drawer; for NHS hearing aids, the audiology service or ENT department supplies them free, in person or by post, and supermarkets sell them too. If their aids are rechargeable, keep the charger with a charged power bank: GOV.UK Prepare’s advice for anyone who relies on a battery pack is to keep a spare fully charged, and Ready Scotland lists spare chargers or power banks for equipment you rely on.
- Mobility aids somewhere findableOptional
GOV.UK Prepare: keep mobility aids, such as a long cane, in a familiar place so they can be found quickly in an emergency. UKHSA notes that older people are at greater risk of falls in cold weather, especially with snow or ice.
Mostly nothing to buy: this is about where the stick, frame or cane lives, so it can be reached in the dark (GOV.UK Prepare). Ready Scotland’s kit list also suggests a spare walking stick or any mobility devices they need, so an old stick kept by the bed is worth having if there is one.
- Bedside torch1 torchEssential
GOV.UK Prepare: a battery or wind-up torch, because torches are safer than candles. Age UK’s winter guide says to keep a torch handy in case there’s a power cut.
One each, kept by the bed so it is within reach when the lights go out, with spare batteries for the torch and radio (GOV.UK Prepare). Any simple torch they can switch on easily will do; one already in the house is as good as a new one. Bedside placement is our practical suggestion; GOV.UK Prepare’s wording is somewhere easy to find in the dark.
Ledlenser P6R Core Rechargeable Torch£69.95Check price →Compareas of 22 Sep 2026, 22:23 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. - Battery or wind-up radioOptional
GOV.UK Prepare lists a battery or wind-up radio to get updates during a power cut. It sits as optional here because a charged mobile covers the same job for many people; Age UK suggests keeping a radio charged ‘just in case’.
One for the house, kept where they usually sit. A wind-up model needs no batteries at all.
Rocam Emergency Weather Radio£29.98Check price →Compareas of 22 Sep 2026, 22:23 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. - Charged power bank and a simple charger1 power bankEssential
GOV.UK Prepare: a portable power bank for charging your mobile phone. Once the landline goes digital it stops working in a power cut unless the router has a battery backup, so a charged mobile is usually the way to call for help, though GOV.UK Prepare notes mobiles can fail too if the local mast loses power.
One for each mobile phone, kept charged, with a plug-in charger and cable in the same drawer. Age UK’s advice is simply to keep the phone charged just in case. If they don’t use a mobile, or get no signal at home, skip this: ask the phone provider about the free power-cut backup Ofcom requires for customers who rely on the landline to call 999 (the landline switchover).
INIU B5 20000mAh Power Bank£26.99Check price →Compareas of 22 Sep 2026, 22:23 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. - Warm layers and blanketsEssential
The NHS names people aged 65 and over among those most at risk in cold weather. If the heating fails, layers and blankets are what keep the person warm while it is fixed.
No official number of blankets. The guidance is a way of dressing: several thin layers rather than one thick one (UKHSA, Age UK), a shawl or blanket when sitting, and warmer layers, thermal underwear and bed socks in bed (Age UK). Heat the rooms they use most, such as the living room and bedroom, to at least 18°C if they can (NHS, UKHSA). In a power cut, keep warm with blankets and layered clothing, keep the doors of unused rooms closed and close the curtains (GOV.UK Prepare). A hot water bottle or an electric blanket warms the bed, never both together (Age UK). See also thermal base layers.
Keeping warm in a power cut → - Food that needs no cooking9 mealsEssential
GOV.UK Prepare: non-perishable food that doesn’t need cooking, such as ready-to-eat tinned meat, fruit or vegetables, and a tin opener. In a power cut the cooker and microwave are off.
Three meals a person a day, as in our kit list; Ready Scotland suggests three days’ supply. Choose things they already eat, in tins or pouches they can open, and keep a hand tin opener with them. Nothing here needs to be special emergency food.
Wayfayrer Ready-to-Eat Meal Pouch£7.88Check price →Compareas of 22 Sep 2026, 22:23 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. - Bottled water9 litresEssential
Mains water can stop with a burst main, and GOV.UK Prepare notes that a power cut can disrupt it too. It puts bottled water on the kit list and says there is no standard figure, because emergencies vary in length and people use different amounts.
GOV.UK Prepare cites the World Health Organization’s minimum of 2.5–3 litres of drinking water a person a day for survival (this list uses 3), and says 10 litres a day is more comfortable because it also covers basic cooking and hygiene. Allow extra for any medical device that needs water. Small bottles are easier to lift and pour than one large container.
Water storage options → - Personal alarmOptional
Age UK: a personal alarm can connect them to a 24-hour response centre; they press a button on a pendant worn round the neck or wrist and talk to someone who contacts a chosen person. Most of the alarms we compare alert family or friends instead, so check who would actually answer, and ask the provider what happens in a power cut: an alarm stops if it has no internal battery or its battery runs out, or if it runs through a router with no battery backup, while many digital alarms have a built-in mobile SIM (Telecare National Action Plan).
One, if they live alone or are at risk of falls; if they already have a council or telecare alarm, the job is checking it, not buying another. Alarms bought without a monitoring subscription usually call family members’ phones rather than a 24-hour response centre, so if nobody could realistically answer an alert at night, a monitored service is the safer choice: Age UK points to GOV.UK’s find-a-telecare-provider page or the local council in England, and the local council in Wales. Before the landline goes digital, tell the phone company and the alarm provider: phone companies have committed that no telecare user will be moved without a compatible, working set-up confirmed (PSTN Charter; Telecare National Action Plan). The free backup Ofcom requires is for people who rely on the landline to call 999 in a power cut, and lasts at least an hour; phone companies have no duty to keep the alarm itself working (Telecare National Action Plan), so ask the alarm provider how long it runs without mains power. GOV.UK Prepare also suggests a plan with a neighbour or someone they trust to check on them if they haven’t heard from them. See the landline switchover.
CPR Guardian ActiveTop pick: CPR Guardian IV Pro 4G GPS SOS Personal Alarm Watch — £179.99as of 22 Sep 2026, 22:23 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.£119.98Check price →Compareas of 22 Sep 2026, 22:23 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. - Carbon monoxide alarmEssential
Age UK: install a carbon monoxide alarm in each room with a gas or solid-fuel appliance, and test it regularly; the NHS extends that to anything that burns gas, oil, coal or wood. You cannot see, taste or smell carbon monoxide; low exposure can cause long-term harm and high exposure can be fatal.
One in each room with a fuel-burning appliance (gas, oil, LPG, coal or wood), to British Standard BS EN 50291 (UKHSA). If the home is all-electric with no fuel-burning appliance, it is not needed. Landlords in England, private and social, must fit one in any room with a fixed fuel-burning appliance (gas cookers excepted), and in Wales landlords must fit them for all contract holders. In Scotland every home, owned or rented, must have a carbon monoxide detector in any room with a carbon-fuelled appliance such as a boiler, open fire or wood burner (gas cookers and hobs excepted). Northern Ireland has its own rules. Know the symptoms.
FireAngel FA3322 10-Year Digital Carbon Monoxide Alarm£31.98Check price →Compareas of 22 Sep 2026, 22:23 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. - Emergency and family contacts on paperEssential
GOV.UK Prepare: write down important phone numbers on paper and store them somewhere easy to find in a power cut. A flat phone takes its address book with it.
One list by the phone (Age UK). Start with the two emergency lines: 105, the free number that reaches the local electricity network operator to report a power cut in England, Scotland and Wales, or 03457 643643 for NIE Networks in Northern Ireland (GOV.UK Prepare), and 0800 111 999 if they smell gas, or 0800 002 001 in Northern Ireland (Age UK; nidirect). Then add Age UK’s template (gas, electricity and water suppliers, a plumber, the pharmacy, the doctor and the local Age UK) and, from nidirect, close relatives and the council. Give a copy to whoever would be called first.
Somewhere to write it all down → - Priority Services RegisterEssential
Age UK: every energy supplier and network operator keeps a register of customers who need extra help, including anyone over pension age. It is free, and it only helps if they are on it before something goes wrong.
Costs nothing. Registering through the electricity network operator at thepsr.co.uk passes the details, where possible, to the energy supplier and the regional gas and water companies (Energy Networks Association). Age UK’s advice is still to make sure they are on every register: both network operators, the energy supplier, and the second supplier if gas and electricity differ. CCW confirms every water company in England and Wales runs one. Re-register after switching supplier (Ofgem). In Scotland, the network companies’ joint site, psrscotland.com, links to separate sign-up forms for the electricity network operator and for Scottish Water, and lists being over 60 among its criteria. In Northern Ireland, every electricity and gas supplier keeps a Customer Care Register, open to people of pensionable age; NI Water has its own Customer Care Register for older customers and anyone with a serious medical condition; and NIE Networks’ register is for people who rely on medical equipment at home.
How to join the Priority Services Register →
We don’t add these up: each price is shown beside its item, and you’ll probably only need some of them.
Warm the bed with a hot water bottle or an electric blanket, never both together. Never fill a hot water bottle with boiling water, and use a cover rather than having it against bare skin; don’t use an electric blanket if continence is an issue, and check whether it is safe to leave on all night (Age UK, Winter wrapped up, September 2026).
In a power cut, use torches rather than candles (GOV.UK Prepare). Never use a barbecue or camping stove indoors, and never run a portable generator indoors; the NHS lists all three as sources of carbon monoxide. Using an unsuitable appliance to heat a home raises the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning (UKHSA), so keep warm with blankets and layers instead (symptoms and sources).
Medicines as prescribed: order repeats up to five working days early (NHS) and avoid ordering more than you need until the next prescription (Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England). If a medicine is short, speak to the pharmacist.
Fit a carbon monoxide alarm meeting BS EN 50291 in every room with an appliance that burns gas, oil, coal or wood, and test it regularly; carbon monoxide can’t be seen, smelt or tasted (NHS; UKHSA; Age UK).
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Your kit covers supplies. The Family File covers everything else: who to ring, where the paperwork is, what someone would need to know.
Questions
How much medication should they keep in hand?
Enough for several days, not a stockpile. GOV.UK Prepare’s advice for carers is to have enough regular medication to keep going for several days; the NHS says to request a repeat prescription up to five working days before it is needed, and the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England ask people to avoid ordering more than they need until their next prescription. In practice, reordering when about a week’s supply is left covers it. More in medicine shortages.
Will their personal alarm still work after the landline goes digital?
Not automatically. Many older alarms were designed for the analogue line, and a digital landline stops working in a power cut unless the router has a battery backup. Phone companies have committed (PSTN Charter; Telecare National Action Plan) that no telecare user will be migrated until the phone company, the customer or the alarm provider confirms a compatible, working set-up. Battery backup is a separate question: Ofcom requires a free backup of at least an hour for people who rely on the landline to call 999 in a power cut, but phone companies have no obligation to keep a telecare alarm connected in a power cut; that depends on the alarm’s own battery or a built-in mobile SIM. Tell both the phone company and the alarm provider now, and ask how long the alarm works without mains power. Most lines are due to switch by the end of January 2027. See the landline switchover.
What is the Priority Services Register and who qualifies?
A free list of customers who need extra help, run by every energy supplier and network operator, with parallel schemes at water companies. Anyone who has reached State Pension age qualifies, as does anyone with a long-term condition, disability or a temporary need. One registration via thepsr.co.uk is shared, where possible, with the supplier and the gas and water companies, but it is worth checking with each, and after switching supplier, register again. In Scotland, psrscotland.com links to separate forms for the electricity network operator and Scottish Water. In Northern Ireland the energy suppliers’ lists are called Customer Care Registers, open to people of pensionable age, and NI Water runs one too. How to sign up: Priority Services Register.
How warm should the house be?
If they can, at least 18°C in the rooms they use regularly, such as the living room and bedroom (NHS, UKHSA). Several thin layers keep a person warmer than one thick one, a shawl or blanket helps when sitting, and thermal underwear and bed socks help in bed (Age UK). A hot water bottle or an electric blanket can warm the bed, but never use both together. If the heating fails, see keeping warm in a power cut.
Do they need a carbon monoxide alarm?
Yes, if the home has anything that burns fuel: a gas, oil or LPG boiler, a gas cooker, a gas or paraffin heater, or a wood or coal fire, stove or range. The NHS advises one alarm in each room with such an appliance, and Age UK says to test alarms regularly; choose one that meets British Standard BS EN 50291 (UKHSA). If they rent in England or Wales, the landlord must fit one in any room with a boiler, fire or stove (in England that includes council and housing association landlords), and in Scotland every home with a boiler, open fire or wood burner must have one in that room, whoever owns it. An all-electric home with no fuel-burning appliance does not need one. Options: carbon monoxide alarms.
Is this the same in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
Mostly. The kit itself and the landline switchover apply UK-wide. The cold-weather guidance quoted here (UKHSA, the NHS website and Age UK’s guide) and the Government’s telecare action plan are written for England, though the basics (heat the rooms you use to about 18°C if you can, wear layers) are the same everywhere; Age NI publishes its own version of Age UK’s winter guide, and in Scotland Age UK suggests contacting Age Scotland. The Priority Services Register works a little differently: in Scotland, psrscotland.com links to separate sign-up forms for the electricity network operator and Scottish Water, and in Northern Ireland the energy suppliers and NI Water run Customer Care Registers, with NIE Networks’ register for people who rely on medical equipment. On carbon monoxide alarms, Scotland requires a detector in every home with a carbon-fuelled appliance, not just rented ones.
Sources: GOV.UK Prepare — Get prepared for emergencies (kit list) · GOV.UK Prepare — Advice for disabled persons and carers · GOV.UK Prepare — Power cuts · NHS — How to order a repeat prescription (reviewed 17 October 2023) · DHSC and NHS England — Medicines shortages patient leaflet (NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service, 24 November 2025) · NHS — Keep warm, keep well (reviewed 1 September 2025) · NHS — Carbon monoxide poisoning (reviewed 16 December 2025) · UKHSA — Keeping warm and well: staying safe in cold weather, England (updated 28 April 2026) · UKHSA — Supporting vulnerable people before and during cold weather, England (published 24 September 2025) · Age UK — Winter wrapped up, information guide IG27 (September 2026) · DHSC and DSIT — Telecare National Action Plan (11 February 2025, England) · DSIT — Public Switched Telephone Network Charter (updated 22 January 2026) · GOV.UK — Find a telecare provider · RNID — Cleaning and maintaining your hearing aids: batteries (updated 1 June 2026) · Energy Networks Association — Priority Services Register (thepsr.co.uk) · Ofgem — Getting extra help: the Priority Services Register · PSR Scotland — The Priority Services Register in Scotland (SSEN, SP Energy Networks, SGN and Scottish Water) · CCW — Priority services from water companies · Power NI — What is the Customer Care Register? · NIE Networks — Customer Care Register · NI Water — Customer Care Register · nidirect — Household emergency kit · nidirect — Energy, power supply and utilities · Power Cut 105 (Energy Networks Association) · Ready Scotland — Make an emergency kit (updated 24 March 2026) · British Red Cross — Prepare an emergency kit · Scottish Government — Fire and smoke alarms in Scottish homes · GOV.UK — Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm regulations: explanatory booklet (England)