Disclaimer

In an emergency

Call 999 if someone’s life is at risk, there is a fire, or you smell gas or suspect carbon monoxide. For urgent medical help that isn’t an emergency, call NHS 111. Follow instructions from the emergency services, your water company and your electricity network operator over anything on this site.

Medicines and first aid

The Medic Kit checklist is not medical advice. Check every medicine, including over-the-counter painkillers, with a pharmacist or GP against the medicines your household already takes, and never change or stop a prescribed medicine without asking them. Doses for children depend on age and weight, so follow the pack and a pharmacist. A first aid course teaches far more than a checklist can, especially for severe bleeding.

Safety at home

• Camping stoves, barbecues and generators must only be used outdoors. Garages, sheds and outbuildings count as indoors because of carbon monoxide.
• Fit working carbon monoxide and smoke alarms, and never heat a room with a gas hob or oven.
• Home batteries, solar systems, generators and any change to your electrics need a qualified installer or electrician.
• Store water, fuel and batteries as their makers advise, and keep them away from children and pets.

Self-defence and the law

The security guidance is a general summary of the law in England and Wales as we understand it, not legal advice. The law in Scotland and Northern Ireland differs, and what is reasonable always depends on the circumstances. Many items sold for self-defence, including pepper spray and stun guns, are illegal to own in the UK. If in doubt, ask the police or a solicitor.

Money, banking and crypto

The Money Without the Internet checklist is not financial advice, and we aren’t authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Deposit protection limits and rules change, so check them with your bank. Never share a wallet recovery phrase, PIN or password with anyone, and never type one into a website or app you reached from a link.

Prices, products and shops

Prices are examples checked against UK shops on 7 November 2026. Some are estimates, marked “est.”, and all of them will change. Naming a shop, brand or product isn’t an endorsement. We aren’t paid by any of them, and none of the links earns us money. Check sizes, safety ratings and suitability for your household before you buy.

No connection to the government

Grid Gone Dark is independent. It isn’t produced, approved or funded by the UK Government, the Be Ready campaign, NESO, the NHS or any other body named on the site.

Using this information

We have tried to make the checklists accurate and safe, but we can’t guarantee that they are complete, current or right for you. You use them at your own risk, and to the extent the law allows we accept no liability for any loss or harm that comes from relying on them. Nothing here limits liability that the law doesn’t allow to be limited. Read the About page for how the plan was put together and the sources behind it.