If your mum or dad lives alone, a power cut is more than an inconvenience. Older people are more at risk from cold homes and falls in the dark — and many now rely on electricity for things they didn't ten years ago, like the home phone. Here's what to set up, ideally on your next visit.
1. Check the phone still works in a power cut
Across the UK, landlines are moving to digital ("VoIP") services that plug into the broadband router. Unlike old copper lines, a digital landline stops working when the power goes off unless it has a battery backup. The same can apply to personal alarm (telecare) pendants.
- Ask their phone provider whether the line is digital, and whether they offer a battery backup unit — providers should offer a solution for customers who depend on their landline.
- Tell the telecare/alarm provider about the switch to digital and ask how the alarm behaves in a power cut.
- Make sure they have a charged mobile phone as a backup, even a simple one, plus a power bank.
2. Register them on the Priority Services Register
The Priority Services Register is free. People of pensionable age usually qualify. It means advance warning of planned cuts and priority support in unplanned ones. Register with their energy supplier, their electricity network operator (call 105 to find out who it is) and their water company.
3. Light that's easy and safe
Fumbling for a torch in a dark hallway is how falls happen. Battery push lights or motion-sensor lights on the stairs, landing and by the bed come on automatically or with one press. Keep a torch on the bedside table and avoid candles.
4. Warmth without electricity
Most central heating needs electricity to run, even with a gas boiler. Leave thermal underwear, a hat, a fleece blanket and a hot water bottle somewhere obvious. Suggest they stay in one room, close the door and keep moving.
5. A simple printed card by the phone
Write the essentials in large print: your number and a neighbour's, 105 (power cut), 111 (NHS), 999, and their GP. Phones die, and few of us remember numbers any more.
6. Medical equipment
If they use an oxygen concentrator, CPAP, electric bed, stairlift or anything else that needs mains power, talk to the equipment provider about backup options. A portable power station can run some devices for hours — see how to choose one and check the wattage with the manufacturer first.
7. Agree who checks in
Decide now who calls or visits during a storm or power cut — you, a sibling or a neighbour. A two-minute plan avoids everyone assuming someone else has rung.
Frequently asked questions
Will my parent's landline work in a power cut?
A traditional copper landline usually does, but digital landlines that plug into the broadband router stop working without power unless there's a battery backup. Ask the phone provider which they have.
Does a gas boiler work in a power cut?
Usually not. Most modern gas boilers need electricity for the controls and pump, so the heating stops when the power goes off.
Who qualifies for the Priority Services Register?
Rules vary by company, but people of pensionable age, disabled people, those with a long-term medical condition or medical equipment, and households with young children usually qualify. It's free.