The Be Ready checklist's home section is short: a fire safety check, test the smoke alarms, know how to turn off gas, electricity and water, check your insurance, prepare for flooding if you are at risk, keep a grab bag, read the hot, cold and storm guidance, and keep a winter kit in the car. This page works through it and adds the autumn jobs that stop most emergencies before they start.
Alarms
Shut-offs
Insurance
Flood, if you are at risk
Check your postcode at the flood risk service and sign up for warnings. If your risk is more than very low, the flood guide covers barriers, airbrick covers, moving valuables up and the flood plan. Do it before the autumn rains.
The autumn maintenance list
None of this is glamorous, and together it prevents more household emergencies than any kit.
Boiler serviced, condensate pipe insulated
An annual service in September, and foam lagging on the white plastic pipe outside so it does not freeze and lock the boiler out in January.
Pipes lagged, outside taps isolated
Loft, garage, outside walls. A few pounds a metre and an afternoon.
Gutters and drains cleared
After the leaves fall. Blocked gutters cause damp, ice dams and surface water finding its way in.
Roof and chimney looked at
From the ground, with binoculars, or by a roofer. Loose tiles become storm damage. Chimneys swept if used.
Trees and fences
Dead branches over the house or the car removed. Fence posts checked; panels are the first thing a storm takes.
Garden made storm-ready
Know where the trampoline, bins and furniture go when a warning comes. Decide now, not at 11 p.m. in a gale.
Grit, torch batteries, car kit
A bag of rock salt by the door, batteries checked, the winter car kit back in the boot.
The grab bag and the plan
Two things that are part of the home, not the shopping: a packed grab bag in case you have to leave quickly, and a written household plan everyone knows. The government guidance lists both under preparing your home. If you have done everything else on this page and not those two, you have done the easy half.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Fire safety checks, flood warnings and the register for extra help all exist in each nation under slightly different names. Ready Scotland, Natural Resources Wales and NI Direct have the local detail.
Common questions
How often should I test smoke alarms?
Monthly, by pressing the test button. Replace batteries yearly on older alarms, and replace the whole alarm every ten years. Fit at least one per floor, ideally in every bedroom and hallway. If anyone in the house is deaf or hard of hearing, alarms with strobes and vibrating pads are available, often free through the fire service.
Where is my stopcock and how do I turn off the gas and electricity?
The internal stopcock is usually under the kitchen sink or where the water main enters; turn clockwise to close. The gas emergency control valve is by the meter; the lever turns a quarter turn to the off position. The electricity main switch is on the consumer unit (fuse box). Find all three now, label them, and check the stopcock actually turns.
What is a home fire safety check?
A free visit or online assessment from your local fire and rescue service covering alarms, escape routes and common risks. Many services offer the visit free to anyone, and prioritise older or vulnerable people. Search your fire service's website for Safe and Well or Home Fire Safety Check.
Does home insurance cover power cut losses?
Many contents policies cover food spoiled in a freezer during a power cut, up to a limit, and some cover alternative accommodation if the home becomes uninhabitable. Check the policy. Compensation for the outage itself comes from the network operator under Ofgem rules, not from insurance.