Many UK Households Remain Unprepared for Electrical Blackouts, New Research Reveals

New research from NICEIC has revealed that many UK households remain unprepared for electrical blackouts, with almost one in eight homes lacking basic backup power essentials. The findings, released following the UK Government’s Resilience Action Plan, show that a significant number of people do not own key safety items such as torches, power banks, or battery-powered radios, and are not prioritising actions that could reduce risk during a power cut. Despite concerns around safety, particularly among younger people, over a third of respondents said they would rely on candles for lighting, increasing fire risk, while fewer than one in five would unplug electrical appliances to protect against power surges. Instead, most people focus on food spoilage, heating loss, and checking whether neighbours are affected, highlighting a wider need for improved awareness around power cut preparedness and electrical safety.