Be Ready: what’s on the government’s three-day emergency checklist, and why torches and radios are selling out

Torches, radios and power banks are flying off the shelves after the government asked every household to keep enough supplies to get through three days of an emergency. Here is what is on the official “Be Ready” checklist, and what shoppers have been buying.

Why the government wants you to stock up

The advice, published on 22 October, is the first stage of a three-year campaign to help households and businesses cope with emergencies such as cyberattacks, severe weather and disruption to essential services. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said he wants people to be “alert but not alarmed”, asking: “How would we cope if the payment systems at the local supermarket went down?”

What’s on the Be Ready checklist

The guidance asks you to have enough to last three days:

• Water: at least three litres per person per day for drinking, plus extra for cooking and washing
• Food: non-perishable food that needs no fridge or cooking, such as tins, dried fruit and nuts. Pick things you actually eat
• Light and warmth: a torch with spare batteries (safer than candles), blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothes
• Communication: a battery or wind-up radio with station frequencies written down, and a charged power bank
• Money and documents: some cash in coins and notes, copies of ID and important papers, and written lists of emergency contacts and medication
• Medical: a first aid kit and essential medicines. Order repeat prescriptions up to five working days before you run out
• Hygiene: hand sanitiser, wet wipes and bathroom basics
• Babies and pets: formula (ready-to-feed is recommended), nappies, wipes, pet food and extra water

What people are buying

Figures reported by BBC Newsnight show how quickly shoppers responded. At Maplin, torch sales rose 284%, power banks 106% and radios 92% compared with the same period a month earlier. Robert Dyas said radio sales were up 160% on the previous week, and Iceland reported a 40% jump in tinned products over the weekend, with strong sales of bottled water.

Specialist “prepper” shops have seen an even bigger rush. Preppers Shop UK said sales were up 650%, driven by off-grid products, while Sgt Prepper’s reported a tenfold increase in orders, mostly for wind-up radios. Iceland said it was clear customers had heard the government’s message and that its supplies remain healthy, so there is no need to panic-buy.

Sources: Radio X, WION, citing BBC Newsnight, LBC.

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