What you can do

Think about how the loss of these essential services could affect your life or business and what plans you could put in place to help you to cope now. Following are some ideas to get you started:

• keep a battery powered or wind-up torch or light at home (never leave lit candles in unoccupied rooms)
• have a battery or wind-up radio in your home
• keep three days' supply of bottled water and ready-to-eat food that will not spoil
• have a home phone that doesn't need electricity (not cordless) in order to work
• keep a list of emergency contact numbers for your utilities companies
• keep a list of important contact numbers (not just stored in your mobile phone in case the battery runs out)
• know where the shut-off points in your home are for gas, electricity and water
• keep some emergency cash accessible
• keep an eye on vulnerable neighbours