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Winter Power-Cut Isolation and Flood Recovery Plan

Direct answer

For five adults and one small dog, plan on 111 litres of water for 7 days or 221 litres for 14 days as an absolute drinking-only floor. A more workable drinking-and-cooking stock is 181 litres for 7 days or 361 litres for 14 days, plus a similar amount of non-potable water for basic washing and toilet use; the full UK “more comfortable” allowance is 356 litres and 711 litres respectively.[1][2]

For food, stock approximately 86,625 kcal for 7 days or 173,250 kcal for 14 days, including a 10% contingency. The practical basket below supplies roughly 91,600 kcal for 7 days and 182,300 kcal for 14 days, while retaining a three-day ready-to-eat reserve. Fuel cannot safely be reduced to one universal figure: worked quantities are therefore provided for cooking gas, a low-load generator, an indoor-approved LPG heater and a log stove.

Planning assumptions

This plan assumes five generally healthy adults, no infant needs, no refrigerated medicines, and a healthy 10 kg dog eating its normal dry food. Adult energy is budgeted at 2,250 kcal each per day—the midpoint between NHS guide figures of 2,000 kcal for an average woman and 2,500 kcal for an average man—then increased by 10% for cold, appetite differences, spillage and delayed relief.[3][4]

The dog allowance uses 0.75 litres of drinking water daily. Veterinary references put normal canine intake around 20–70 ml/kg/day, while a consumer veterinary guide uses 40–60 ml/kg/day; 0.75 litres therefore gives a cautious margin for a 10 kg small dog fed dry food. Replace the food assumption with the actual packet’s daily feeding rate because dog portions depend on size, age, breed and food energy density.[5][6][7]

These are planning quantities, not rationing targets. Increase water for fever, diarrhoea, heavy physical work, medical devices or a larger dog; add a specific contingency plan for anyone using powered medical equipment or temperature-controlled medicine.

Water quantities

UK guidance identifies 2.5–3 litres per person per day as the minimum survival amount and 10 litres per person per day as a more comfortable amount covering drinking, basic cooking and hygiene, with extra water required for pets. Commercially bottled water is preferred for long-term storage because it is sealed in food-grade packaging for longer-lasting safety and quality.[2][1]

The 5-litre adult potable allowance is a practical planning choice: 3 litres to drink and approximately 2 litres for drinks, food preparation and minimal oral hygiene. It is not a separate government standard. For 14 days, store 361 litres as potable water and seek another 350 litres from clearly labelled non-potable containers, water butts or advance-filled baths for flushing and cleaning; never confuse that reserve with drinking water.

Water is heavy: 361 litres weighs about 361 kg, and the full comfortable stock weighs about 711 kg before containers. Distribute it across a sound ground floor, protect it from freezing and contamination, record use daily, and never count UHT milk, soup or the dog’s wet food as justification for reducing the core water reserve.

Food calculation

The base calculation is:

5 adults × 2,250 kcal × 7 days = 78,750 kcal

78,750 × 1.10 contingency = 86,625 kcal

5 adults × 2,250 kcal × 14 days = 157,500 kcal

157,500 × 1.10 contingency = 173,250 kcal

The NHS figures are broad averages, and individual requirements vary with age, body size and activity. Check the labels of the products actually bought: the calorie values below are deliberately rounded planning values, so the label total must reach or exceed the target.[4][3]

Practical food basket

This mix follows the practical pattern of shelf-stable carbohydrates, pulses, nuts, nut butter, tinned fish, fruit, vegetables and long-life milk. Keep salt under control because many soups, instant noodles and processed meats are salty, and choose fruit in juice and pulses in water where possible.[8]

Operational rules:

• Keep at least three days/33,750 kcal in items that can be eaten cold: crackers, nut butter, nuts, bars, dried fruit, ring-pull fish, pulses, fruit and ready meals. The British Red Cross baseline is three days of bottled water and ready-to-eat food.[9]
• Add a manual tin opener, two simple menus, seasonings, tea/coffee and morale food. Choose foods everyone already tolerates and rotate them through normal meals.
• Eat chilled food first, then safely thawed frozen food, then the emergency cupboard. An unopened fridge is expected to remain cold for about four hours; a full freezer may remain frozen for up to 48 hours, or 24 hours if half-full.[10]
• For the dog, use its normal daily packet ration multiplied by 8 days or 15 days. Worked example: 180 g/day × 8 = 1.44 kg; 180 g/day × 15 = 2.70 kg, rounded up to unopened pack sizes. Pack medication, treats, bowl, lead, poo bags and vaccination/microchip details.

Fuel quantities

Cooking fuel

The safest food plan minimises simmering. A stove maker’s planning guidance suggests roughly 5–7 g for a water boil, 7–12 g for a simple meal and 12–20 g for more elaborate cooking, with cold conditions potentially adding 20–50%.[11]

A cautious group calculation is:

two batch meals × 20 g + two drink/water boils × 10 g = 60 g/day

60 g × 1.30 winter factor = 78 g/day

78 g × 7 = 546 g; buy two 450 g canisters (900 g)

78 g × 14 = 1,092 g; buy three 450 g canisters (1.35 kg)

This is only a starting point. Weigh a canister before and after cooking the household’s planned meals for one normal day, multiply the measured use by 7 or 14, and add at least 30% for winter and operational losses. Never use a camping stove, barbecue or charcoal appliance indoors; UK public-health guidance explicitly warns that they can cause fatal carbon-monoxide poisoning.[12][13]

Generator petrol

For a concrete example, the Honda EU22i holds 3.6 litres and runs for approximately 3.2–8.4 hours depending on demand. At light, roughly quarter-load use for four hours a day:[14]

3.6 L ÷ 8.4 h = 0.429 L/h

0.429 × 4 h/day = 1.71 L/day

1.71 × 7 × 1.20 reserve = 14.4 L; round to 15 L

1.71 × 14 × 1.20 reserve = 28.8 L; round to 30 L

At rated load the same calculation becomes about 37.8 litres for 7 days and 75.6 litres for 14 days, showing why a small generator should serve intermittent critical loads rather than electric space or water heating. Measure the actual unit under its real load; its manual takes precedence.

UK rules allow up to 30 litres of petrol at home without notifying the Petroleum Enforcement Authority, using suitable containers; petrol must not be stored in living accommodation, and an enclosed store needs direct outdoor access and ventilation. Run a generator outdoors, at least 6 metres from doors, windows and vents, never in a house, garage or shed; prevent backfeeding by never plugging it into a wall socket, and use only a professionally installed changeover arrangement if connecting it to house circuits.[15][16][12]

Emergency heating

Preferred approach: retain heat rather than trying to heat the whole house. Gather in one room, wear thin layers, close unused rooms and curtains, block draughts safely, move hourly and use blankets.[12]

Indoor-approved LPG heater example: a 4.2 kW cabinet heater is specified at 315 g/hour at maximum, while its stated 15 kg cylinder runtime on low implies about 100 g/hour.[17]

One 15 kg cylinder therefore covers the worked low-setting plan, but not a fully reserved seven-day maximum-setting plan. Use only a heater specifically approved for indoor use, follow its instructions, ventilate, fit working carbon-monoxide alarms, keep it clear of bedding and curtains, supervise it, and turn it off before sleep; spare cylinders should be upright and outside where possible, never in basements, under stairs or by electrical equipment.[18][19][12]

Log-stove example: air-dry logs at 20% moisture contain about 4.1 kWh/kg, and modern wood equipment commonly operates around 75–86% efficiency. To average 3 kW of useful room heat for eight hours daily at 75% efficiency:[20][21]

3 kW × 8 h = 24 kWh useful heat/day

24 ÷ (4.1 kWh/kg × 0.75) = 7.8 kg logs/day

With a 20% reserve, stock about 66 kg for 7 days or 132 kg for 14 days, plus dry kindling and approved firelighters. This is a room-heating example, not a heat-loss survey; a larger, draughtier property could need substantially more.

Home readiness

Keep the home kit together where it can be found in darkness. Core items are a battery or wind-up torch and radio, spare batteries, charged power banks, first aid supplies, essential medicines, sanitiser and wipes, paper contacts, documents in waterproof storage, spare keys and glasses, water, food and pet supplies.[1][9]

Add for rural winter isolation:

• One head torch per adult, two room lanterns and spare matched batteries.
• Battery CO alarms near any fuel-burning appliance, maintained smoke alarms, fire blanket and suitable extinguisher.
• Analogue indoor thermometer; warm layers, hats, gloves, sleeping bags, hot-water bottles and waterproof footwear.
• Battery power sized for phones, router if the local network still works, radio and essential medical devices; keep a 12 V car charger as a second route.
• Printed household plan: 999 for immediate danger, 105 for power cuts, water supplier, gas emergency 0800 111 999, insurer, council, GP, vet, neighbours and family contact.[22][13]
• Stopcock, consumer-unit and fuel isolation instructions; pipe repair clamp/putty, bucket, heavy-duty bags, work gloves and basic tools.
• Sanitation: toilet bags/absorbent material, toilet roll, wipes, soap, sanitiser, menstrual products and household disinfectant.
• Snow shovel, grit/salt, flood barriers if relevant, manual radio, cash in small notes and a written stock/use log.

Grab bags

Use one manageable bag per adult, rather than one unliftable family bag, plus a dog carrier/module. The British Red Cross core includes contacts, torch/radio, medication and first aid, water and ready-to-eat food, waterproofed documents, pen/pencil, penknife, whistle, keys, glasses and pet supplies.[9]

Each adult bag

• Photo ID copy; emergency contacts; relevant medical summary and prescription copy in a waterproof pouch.
• Essential medication, spare glasses/contact-lens supplies and basic toiletries.
• Charged phone, cable, compact power bank, head torch and spare batteries.
• 1 litre water, compact ready-to-eat food for 24 hours, mug/spoon and personal dietary item.
• Warm base layer, socks, hat, gloves, waterproof outer layer and sturdy shoes available beside the bag.
• Foil blanket or compact sleeping bag, whistle, notebook, pencil, tissues, sanitiser, wet wipes and two rubbish bags.
• Cash and payment card; spare house/car key.

Shared modules

• First-aid kit, wind-up/battery radio, paper map, multitool, duct tape and larger power bank.
• Waterproof copies of home/contents insurance, passports, birth certificates, utility details, medication list, vehicle documents and key phone numbers. The Red Cross recommends waterproof copies of important documents.[9]
• Two additional litres of water and one day of shared food; evacuation destination and two routes written down.
• Dog: carrier, harness and lead, muzzle if normally used, collapsible bowls, 72 hours of normal food, at least 2.25 litres of water for a 10 kg dog, medication, towel/blanket, poo bags, vet details, vaccination/microchip record and a current photo. Flood plans should include family and pet evacuation and medication arrangements.[23]

Do not stop to collect a bag during a fire. Government guidance says leave immediately rather than retrieving belongings.[1]

Rural winter car kit

The Red Cross car list covers ice scraper/de-icer, snow shovel, map, blanket and warm clothes, first aid, torch/radio and jump leads; UK preparedness guidance also recommends an in-car charger, hi-vis clothing, food and drink. Keep the fuel tank at least half full because filling stations may not pump during a power failure.[24][25][1][9]

• Ice scraper, de-icer, compact shovel, screen wash and snow brush.
• Warm coat, hat, gloves, waterproofs, sturdy boots, blankets or sleeping bags for all occupants.
• Hi-vis vests, warning triangle, torch/head torch, spare batteries and first-aid kit.
• Jump leads or maintained jump pack; tow rope rated for the vehicle; traction mats, carpet offcuts or grit.
• Paper road atlas/local map, breakdown details, pencil and emergency contacts.
• In-car phone charger, charged power bank and battery/wind-up radio.
• Bottled water, flask, high-energy snacks and 24 hours of essential medication.
• Spare key kept securely, tyre inflator/gauge, locking-wheel-nut key and basic tools.
• Dog lead/harness, bowl, water, food, towel, waste bags and warm dog coat/blanket.

Place the torch, hi-vis vest, warm layer, glass-breaking/seatbelt-cutting tool and phone—not just the rest of the kit—in the passenger compartment where they remain reachable if the boot cannot be opened.

Power-cut aftercare

• Treat fallen cables, damaged meter equipment, water ingress and burning smells as live hazards; keep clear and use 999 for immediate danger or 105 for the network operator.
• When power returns, reconnect appliances gradually rather than all at once. Leave one lamp on during the outage and keep cooking/heating appliances switched off so they do not restart unattended.[13][24]
• Check fridge/freezer temperatures and timings. Prioritise refrigerated food; discard high-risk chilled food after unsafe exposure, and document spoiled stock if insured.[10]
• Check water colour, taste and smell after an outage; do not use suspicious water and contact the supplier.[26]
• Recharge every battery and power bank, refuel safely only after equipment cools, replace used medicines/food/water and record failures while fresh in mind.
• Test smoke and CO alarms, inspect heaters and cables, reset boiler/clocks/security systems and arrange competent inspection of anything that became wet or behaved abnormally.
• Record outage start/end times, reference numbers, photographs, receipts and losses. Contact the network operator or Ofgem guidance to check eligibility for a power-cut payment; 105 is the national route to the local network operator.[27]

Flood recovery

Immediate safety

• Return only when emergency services say it is safe. Do not switch on water, gas or electricity until the utility company or a qualified engineer has checked them.[26]
• Keep people and the dog out of contaminated rooms. Floodwater may contain sewage, pollutants, sharp debris, open manholes and unstable surfaces.[28][26]
• If water remains, do not touch electrical equipment while standing in it. Seek structural advice for cracks, bulging walls, shifted floors or deep flooding; government guidance recommends a structural engineer where water is at least one metre deep.[29][30]

Insurance and evidence

• Call the buildings/contents insurer or landlord immediately and follow their instructions before moving, cleaning, discarding or repairing items.[31][26]
• Photograph/video every room, the outside, damaged contents, serial numbers and the water line; mark maximum water height and create an itemised loss list.[29][26]
• Keep a dated incident log, claim number, meter readings, contractor details and every receipt for accommodation, food, pumping, drying, cleaning and emergency repairs. Recovery energy costs may form part of an insurance claim.[31]
• Secure the property against weather and unauthorised entry, but use only emergency work authorised by the insurer. Check contractor identification and resist pressure selling.[32][29]

Water removal

• Pump only when the outside flood level is lower than the water inside; pumping too early can increase structural pressure and damage.[30][29]
• Site petrol/diesel pumps and generators outside in open air, with exhaust away from openings. Never operate them in the building, garage or shed because carbon monoxide can kill.[33][30]
• Remove mud evenly from both sides of a wall to avoid uneven pressure. Do not use high-pressure washing because it can aerosolise contaminated material.[34][29]

Cleaning and health

• Wear wellingtons/rubber boots, waterproof gloves, overalls or apron, goggles and a DIY-type face mask where splashing or dust is possible; cover cuts with waterproof dressings.[28]
• Wash hands thoroughly with warm water and soap after every session and before eating. Avoid touching the face, and wash contaminated work clothes separately.[28][31]
• Clean first with detergent, then disinfect hard surfaces using products exactly as labelled, including required contact time. Never mix bleach with other cleaners.[28]
• Double-bag contaminated waste where possible. Ask the council about sewage/chemical waste, sandbags, skips and extra collections; asbestos-containing material needs specialist handling.[26][28]
• Discard all food touched by floodwater. Do not drink tap water if its colour, taste or smell has changed; contact the water company and follow its boil-water or do-not-use notice.[23][26]

Drying and mould

• Clean and disinfect before drying. Ventilate naturally with doors/windows open, or close them when operating dehumidifiers so the machine can work effectively.[29][31]
• Use heating, fans and dehumidifiers only after the electrical supply and equipment are declared safe. Controlled drying can take weeks or months; forcing it too quickly can damage the building.[35][28]
• Monitor moisture room by room and inspect behind skirting, cabinets and floor coverings. Persistent or extensive mould warrants a specialist; moisture control, heat, dehumidification and ventilation are the principal controls.[28]
• Do not allow children or pets into contaminated or poorly ventilated enclosed areas. Ventilate garages/cellars first and wait before entry where fumes may have accumulated.[28]

Repairs and resilience

• Obtain the loss adjuster’s written scope, drying certificate and insurer approval before reinstatement. Use qualified electricians, Gas Safe engineers and competent builders.
• During repair, consider flood-resilient finishes, tiled floors with rugs, water-resistant joinery, high shelves, non-return valves and raising sockets/fuse boxes to at least 1.5 metres where suitable.[36][30]
• Update the household flood plan, register for flood warnings, review insurance values, restock bags and photograph the restored property for a future baseline.[37][23]
• Recovery is stressful; maintain contact with family, GP and community support. Floodline is 0345 988 1188, and urgent danger remains 999.[26]

Immediate procurement list

For the 14-day recommended level, the single shopping/commissioning brief is:

• 361 litres potable water, plus up to 350 litres non-potable utility water if storage and floor loading permit.
• The stated 182,300 kcal food basket, checked against actual labels, plus the dog’s normal ration for 15 days.
• Three 450 g cooking-gas canisters for the worked low-cook plan, used outdoors only.
• If using the example generator schedule, 30 litres petrol maximum, legally and safely stored; otherwise calculate from the actual machine and load.
• If using an indoor-approved LPG heater, one 15 kg cylinder for the low-setting example; do not assume it covers sustained maximum use.
• If using the worked log-stove profile, about 132 kg dry logs, plus kindling.
• Five distributed grab bags, one dog module, a winter car kit, working smoke/CO alarms, battery lighting/radio, sanitation supplies and flood-clean-up PPE.

Do not buy all fuel options by default. Select only equipment already installed, maintained and understood, then calculate from its manufacturer’s consumption data and a real household test.

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