Prepping for beginners in the UK: the first hour

By SGWNI. Checked on 2 November 2026.

Start with what you already have. In about an hour, without buying anything, you can count your water and food, sort out your medicines, write down the numbers that matter, and end up with a short list of what’s missing. That’s the whole first step. You don’t need a special kit, and you don’t need to be a prepper. The aim is 3 days, which is what the UK government’s Be Ready campaign asks for.

Minutes 0 to 10: water

Find every bottle of water in the house and add up the litres. You’re aiming for 3 litres per person per day for drinking, so 9 litres each for 3 days. Water comes before food because it’s the one most homes are short of. Many people have less than they think.

Minutes 10 to 20: food

Open the cupboards. Look for food you could eat without a fridge or a hob: tinned meat, fish and vegetables, dried fruit, nuts, crackers, cereal bars. Pick things you’d usually eat, as Be Ready suggests. Check you have a tin opener that doesn’t need electricity.

Put the numbers into our supplies calculator. It tells you how many days you’d last and which is holding you back, food or water. A low first number is normal, and that’s what the count is for.

Minutes 20 to 30: medicines

The British Red Cross puts essential medication first in its order of priorities. It suggests at least three days’ worth, and asking your GP or pharmacist if you’re worried about running short.

Check how much you have and when your next prescription is due.
Be Ready says to request repeats up to 5 working days before you need them.
Write down each medicine and its dose on paper, so someone else could read it.

Minutes 30 to 40: numbers on paper

Phones go flat, so put these on one sheet and keep it where you’d find it in the dark:

105: power cuts in England, Wales and Scotland. In Northern Ireland, 03457 643643.
0800 111 999: gas emergencies, or if you suspect carbon monoxide. In Northern Ireland, 0800 002 001.
Your water company’s number.
Family, neighbours, your GP and your insurer.

While you’re there, make sure you know how to turn off the gas, electricity and water.

Minutes 40 to 50: light and news

Find a torch and try it. Be Ready says torches are safer than candles.
Check you have spare batteries that fit.
Find a radio that works without mains power, on batteries or by winding. Write your local station’s frequency on your sheet.
Charge a power bank, if you have one.

If you don’t have some of these, they go on your list.

Minutes 50 to 60: your list and two free jobs

Use our Be Ready checklist tool to see what’s missing, scaled to your household. Then do two things that cost nothing:

Check the Priority Services Register. It’s free, and it tells energy and water companies you may need extra help. It covers people of pension age, people with health conditions or disabilities, and households with a child aged five or under, among others. You register once through your electricity network, and your details are shared with gas and water.
Set a reminder for six months’ time to check dates and swap things out. Be Ready suggests this.

What to buy first

If you can’t get everything at once, and you don’t have to, use this order. It starts from the British Red Cross priorities:

Any medication you depend on.
Water, up to 9 litres per person.
Food that doesn’t need cooking, up to 3 days.
A torch, batteries and a radio.
A power bank, some cash and copies of important documents.
Hygiene items, blankets and first aid.

Be Ready suggests picking up an item or two on normal shopping trips, so the cost is spread out. In the government’s 2026 survey, 29% of people named money as a barrier, so you’re not alone if this takes a few months.

What can wait

A grab bag. It’s useful, but home supplies come first.
Anything specialist. You don’t need freeze-dried meals or expensive kits. Ordinary food you already eat is what Be Ready suggests.
Months of food. Three days is the goal for now. If you buy far more than you eat, some of it will go out of date.

After the first hour

You’ll have a count, a list and a reminder. From here, keep the count roughly true. Each time you use something from your stock, replace it on your next shop. Once you reach 3 days, you can decide whether to go further. Our guide to how much food a family should keep can help with that.

If you’d like a quick view of where you stand, the readiness score takes a couple of minutes and gives you three next steps.