The government wants every home to keep three days of food, water and cash. Some shoppers are now panic buying toilet roll
Why it hits youThis isn't just for your parents. If you rent, live in halls or share a flat, a power cut or storm hits you too, and you might have less in the cupboard than most. The advice is three days, not months. A lot of it is free, and supermarkets say there's no need to rush out and buy anything.
New government advice called 'Be Ready' asks every household to keep enough water, food and basics to get through three days if power, water or phones go down. Ministers say it's common sense and other European countries already do it. Since then, some shops have reported a rush on tins, torches, radios and toilet roll. Critics call it scaremongering. Retailers say the launch was a mess but there's no shortage.
The Facts
What everyone agrees on
Before anyone spins it. Every one of these is checkable.
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The 'Be Ready' advice was published on 22 October 2026. It's the first stage of a three-year campaign to help households prepare for things like severe weather that can knock out power, water, phones and the internet. GOV.UK ↗
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The checklist asks for 3 litres of drinking water per person per day and non-perishable food for three days, plus a torch, a radio, a power bank, cash, copies of key documents, a first aid kit and any essential medicines. Be Ready (GOV.UK) ↗
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The government says the advice brings the UK in line with countries including France, Ireland and the Netherlands. Some steps are free, like signing up to the Priority Services Register, which tells energy and water firms you need extra help. GOV.UK ↗
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The EU already tells its citizens to keep enough essentials to last at least 72 hours in an emergency. European Commission ↗
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Wes Streeting has said Britain must be ready for war within 1,000 days, warning that the UK's adversaries could be able to attack by 2030. The Independent ↗
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Iceland said sales of tinned food rose 40% over the weekend after the advice, and that its supplies “remain healthy”. Robert Dyas said radio sales were up 160% on the week before. GB News ↗
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Cheeky Panda said its toilet roll sales were up 43% on the same time last year, and B&M said toilet paper sales were up 19% since the guidance came out. The Independent ↗
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Some bottled water, batteries and baked beans showed as unavailable on Ocado. Ocado said demand had risen and it was working with suppliers to restore stock. LBC ↗
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The advice came out just before Storm Austen and Storm Boelo hit the UK, a weekend when sales of these kinds of goods usually go up anyway. The National ↗
Every Side · 1 of 3
The government and emergency charities
Simple steps so you're not caught out
Security minister Dan Jarvis said: “Those who can follow this advice should follow this advice.” The government says being ready for things like severe storms takes pressure off the emergency services, and brings the UK in line with France, Ireland and the Netherlands. The British Red Cross said “we can all take some simple steps to be prepared”. Defence secretary Wes Streeting has gone further, warning the UK's enemies could be able to attack by 2030. On Question Time he said his reaction to the advice was: “why haven't we done this before and why are we playing catch up?”
- Dan Jarvis, security minister
- British Red Cross
- Wes Streeting, defence secretary
Side labels are our editorial calls for now. How we'll rate lean
Every Side · 2 of 3
Sceptics and shopkeepers
“Don't you think that's just scaremongering?”
That was the question an audience member put to Wes Streeting on Question Time, adding that people “then go and panic buy”. Retail bosses had warned about exactly that. Before the launch, Jim Bligh of the British Retail Consortium told MPs: “Panic buying is quite easy to generate.” Retail industry sources told City AM the launch was “shambolic”: shops were told it would be “low key” and fronted by the security minister, then it led the news. Toilet-roll brand Cheeky Panda, which saw sales jump, urged people not to go back to “pandemic-style” panic buying.
- Question Time audience member
- British Retail Consortium
- Supermarket sources (City AM)
Side labels are our editorial calls for now. How we'll rate lean
Every Side · 3 of 3
What it means for you
It's three days, not a bunker
The official checklist is short: 3 litres of drinking water per person per day for three days, food that doesn't need a fridge or cooking (and a tin opener), a torch and batteries, a charged power bank, a battery or wind-up radio, some cash, any medicines, and important numbers written on paper. The government says check what you've already got, then add things bit by bit on normal shopping trips to spread the cost. In a shared flat, you could build one kit together. Retailers say supplies are healthy, so there's no need to rush.
- Be Ready checklist (GOV.UK)
- British Retail Consortium
Side labels are our editorial calls for now. How we'll rate lean
The Blindspot · what the headlines skip
The government's message got mixed
The campaign itself is about storms and power cuts. The talk of war came from Wes Streeting answering media questions. City AM says he wasn't directly involved in the launch, and that's what turned a low-key campaign into front-page news.
The Blindspot · what the headlines skip
The panic-buying headlines skip the small print
The sales figures are shops' own claims, measured in different ways, and two storms hit that same weekend. There's no independent data showing a national shortage, and retailers say supplies are fine.
The Blindspot · what the headlines skip
Not everyone can afford a spare cupboard
A kit costs money, and the government hasn't said what the campaign itself costs. Its answer for tight budgets is to build the kit slowly and start with the free steps. It says it worked with charities supporting people who use foodbanks.
Your Call
- The government and emergency charities: not yet
- Sceptics and shopkeepers: not yet
- What it means for you: not yet
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