Power cuts and water outages

A power cut is rarely dangerous if you are prepared, but alone in the dark with a dying phone it can feel stressful. A small kit and a few numbers saved in advance make it easy.

Who to call

• UK (England, Scotland and Wales): call 105 to report a power cut or get updates, or use your network operator's website. In Northern Ireland the number is 03457 643643 (UK Government, Prepare).
• Dubai: DEWA emergency line 991, or its 24-hour contact centre on +971 4 601 9999 (UAE Government portal).
• Abu Dhabi: ADDC on 8002332, which also has an outage map (UAE Government portal).
• Sharjah: SEWA on 991. Other emirates: Etihad Water and Electricity on 991 for electricity and 992 for water (UAE Government portal).
• For a water problem in the UK, contact your local water company; its number is on your water bill.
• Check first whether it is just your home: if neighbours still have power, you may have tripped a switch (see the Running a Home basic fixes lesson).

A small outage kit

• A battery or wind-up torch with spare batteries. The UK Government's Prepare site says torches are safer than candles, and using your phone as a torch drains it faster.
• A charged power bank for your phone.
• Bottled water and some food that needs no cooking, plus a tin opener (UK Government, Prepare).
• A battery or wind-up radio, with local station frequencies written on paper (UK Government, Prepare).
• Keep the kit together somewhere you can find in the dark, and save the outage numbers in your phone and on paper.
• The Emergency Preparedness module goes further on full emergency kits; this is the light version for everyday outages.

During a power cut

• Turn off irons, ovens, heaters and fryers, and unplug your TV and computer to protect them from a surge when the power returns (UK Government, Prepare).
• Keep fridge and freezer doors closed so they stay cold for longer (UK Government, Prepare).
• Keep away from fallen power lines (UK Government, Prepare).
• In a life-threatening emergency, call 999 or 112 from a mobile in the UK; emergency calls can use other networks (UK Government, Prepare). In the UAE, use 999, 998 or 997 (u.ae).
• In cold countries, keep warm with layers and blankets and close the doors of rooms you are not using. In GCC summer heat, stay in the coolest room, drink water and go somewhere cool if the outage goes on.

Food in the fridge and freezer

• The Food Standards Agency says a fridge should stay cold for up to 4 hours, and a full freezer for up to 48 hours (24 hours if half full). These are estimates.
• If the fridge reaches 8°C or above, eat foods that normally need refrigeration within 4 hours, or throw them away if power does not return within that time (FSA).
• Eat in this order: fridge food first, then defrosted frozen food that does not need cooking, then other perishables, then tins and dried food (FSA).
• When in doubt, throw it out. Food poisoning when you live alone is miserable.

Water outages

• Keep a few litres of bottled water at home for drinking and brushing teeth.
• If water goes off, turn off taps that were running so they do not flood when supply returns.
• Report it: 992 for Etihad Water and Electricity areas, DEWA's contact centre (+971 4 601 9999) in Dubai, SEWA 991 in Sharjah, or your water company in the UK (UAE Government portal).
• If your building has its own tanks or pumps, building management may need to know first.