Power cut guide
Looking After Babies, Older Relatives and Pets in a Power Cut
Quick answer: In a power cut, babies, older people and some pets lose heat faster and depend on others to spot problems. Make baby formula only with water that’s still at least 70°C (or use ready-to-feed formula), keep babies in a room around 16 to 20°C without hats or hot water bottles, check on older relatives and neighbours, and wrap fish tanks and reptile enclosures to hold in heat. If anyone shows signs of hypothermia or is seriously unwell, call 999.
Is the power off where you are? See live power cuts from the network operators and reports from neighbours.
This guide is for parents, carers, and anyone with a vulnerable neighbour or an animal at home. It sticks to safe, practical steps based on NHS and specialist advice. For general power cut advice, start with our complete guide to what to do in a power cut.
Babies and young children: feeding safely
Power cuts are hardest on formula-fed babies, because safe bottle preparation normally relies on a kettle. Breastfeeding carries on as normal, and a power cut is a good reason to keep going if you’re already doing it.
Making up formula without a kettle
The NHS advises making each formula feed with water that’s at least 70°C, because water that hot kills harmful bacteria that can be in formula powder. Normally that means using water left in the kettle for no more than 30 minutes after boiling. In a power cut you have a few options:
- Ready-to-feed liquid formula is sterile until it’s opened, so it doesn’t need hot water. Keeping a few cartons or bottles in your emergency supplies is a sensible backup. Pour it into a sterilised bottle. Once opened, keep leftovers in the fridge and use within 24 hours.
- A vacuum flask of freshly boiled water, filled before the power goes off or from a neighbour with power. Use it only while the water is still above 70°C. Measure powder into a clean, dry container, make up the feed, then cool the bottle under cold running water and test it on your wrist.
- Boiling water on a gas hob, but only if your cooker’s instructions say it is safe to light and use without electricity. Never use a camping stove or barbecue indoors.
Make each feed when your baby needs it. Throw away any formula left at the end of a feed, and any made-up bottle that has been at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Don’t use bottled water unless you have no safe tap water, as it may contain too much sodium or sulphate; if you do need to, follow NHS and Food Standards Agency advice.
Sterilising bottles
Electric and microwave sterilisers stop working in a power cut. Two methods don’t need electricity:
- Cold-water sterilising solution or tablets: leave the equipment in the solution for at least 30 minutes, and change the solution every 24 hours.
- Boiling in a pan: if your gas hob is safe to use in a power cut (see above), boil the equipment for at least 10 minutes. Teats wear out faster this way.
Expressed breast milk
If you store expressed milk, keep the fridge and freezer doors shut. A full freezer keeps food frozen for about 48 hours if left closed, and a fridge stays cold for up to about 4 hours. The NHS says to use defrosted breast milk straight away and not to re-freeze it. If you’re unsure whether stored milk is still safe after a long power cut, ask your midwife or health visitor. Our guide to how long food lasts in the fridge and freezer covers the temperatures to watch.
Keeping babies warm, but not too warm
Babies can’t regulate their temperature as well as adults, and both overheating and getting too cold are risks. The Lullaby Trust recommends a room temperature of 16 to 20°C for babies. In a winter power cut, the house may drop below that.
- Choose one room to keep warm and keep the door closed. Use a room thermometer if you have one.
- Dress your baby in layers, such as a long-sleeved vest, a babygrow and a well-fitting sleeping bag. Add or remove layers rather than piling on blankets.
- Check how warm they are by feeling their chest or the back of their neck. Cool hands and feet are normal. If the skin is hot or sweaty, take a layer off.
- Babies don’t need hats indoors, as they release heat through their heads.
- Don’t use hot water bottles or weighted blankets for a baby, and don’t put a duvet over them.
- Never fall asleep with a baby on a sofa or armchair, even if it’s the warmest place in the house.
Safety: A cold baby who is floppy, unusually quiet or sleepy, or won’t feed may have hypothermia. Call 999. For worries that aren’t an emergency, call NHS 111.
Battery night lights and torches are far safer than candles in a house with toddlers. Our guide to power cut safety with candles, generators and carbon monoxide explains the risks in detail.
Older relatives and neighbours
People over 65, and anyone with a long-term health condition, are more likely to be harmed by the cold. The NHS advises heating the rooms you use regularly to at least 18°C. In a power cut without heating, an older person can get cold surprisingly quickly, especially if they’re sitting still.
Check in early
If you have an older relative or neighbour, get in touch as soon as you know there’s a power cut. A quick phone call or knock on the door can make a real difference. Ask:
- Are you warm enough? Is there one room you can stay in?
- Do you have a working torch and spare batteries?
- Is your phone charged? Does your landline still work? (Many digital landlines stop in a power cut.)
- Do you use any equipment that needs electricity, such as a stairlift, riser chair, oxygen or a pressure mattress?
- Do you have food you can eat without cooking, and something warm to drink?
- Do you need any medicines from the fridge?
If they rely on medical equipment, our guide to making a power cut plan for medical equipment covers what to ask their supplier and clinical team.
Help them stay warm
- Wear several thin layers rather than one thick one, plus socks, slippers and a hat.
- Stay in one room, close the door and draw the curtains.
- Keep moving where possible, even just getting up every hour or so.
- Have hot drinks and food from a flask if possible.
- Use blankets over the legs when sitting.
There’s much more on this in our guide to keeping warm in a winter power cut.
Know the signs of hypothermia
The NHS lists these signs: shivering; pale, cold, dry skin that may look blue or grey (on darker skin, check the palms and soles); slurred speech; slow breathing; and tiredness or confusion. Hypothermia is a medical emergency, so call 999.
While you wait for help, get them into the warmest place, remove wet clothing, wrap them in a dry blanket or sleeping bag including the head, and give a warm, non-alcoholic drink if they’re fully awake. Don’t use a hot bath or hot water bottle to warm them, don’t rub their arms or legs, and don’t give alcohol.
Stairs, lifts and getting around
Lifts in flats stop in a power cut, and stairlifts or riser chairs may not work for long. If a relative can’t manage stairs, think ahead about whether they’d be better staying downstairs, or going to stay with someone else during a long cut. Make sure they have a torch by the bed and a clear route to the toilet.
Get vulnerable people on the Priority Services Register
If someone in your household or family is of state pension age, has a child under 5, is pregnant, disabled, has a long-term condition or uses medical equipment, they can join the free Priority Services Register. It can mean advance warning of planned power cuts, priority updates during unplanned ones and, in long cuts, welfare support such as hot food where available. You can sign up on behalf of a relative with their agreement. Our guide to the Priority Services Register explains how.
Pets
Most dogs, cats and other common pets aren’t affected by a short power cut. A few practical points help:
- Keep pets away from candles, which can easily be knocked over. Battery lights are safer.
- Give pets a warm, draught-free spot with extra bedding if the house is cold.
- Keep them away from any generator, which must be outside and well away from the house.
- If pet food is kept in the fridge, treat it like human food and check how long it has been warm.
Tropical fish
Tropical fish need warm water, typically around 24 to 27°C depending on the species, and the filter and air pump keep oxygen levels up. Most fish cope with a gradual change in temperature, and larger tanks cool more slowly than small ones. In a long power cut, network operators suggest:
- Insulate the tank. Wrap it in blankets, cover the top (where most heat is lost), and place hot water bottles filled with warm water around the outside of the tank.
- Add oxygen. Use a battery-powered air pump if you have one. If not, disturb the water surface for about five minutes every hour, for example by scooping water out with a jug and pouring it back, or using a bicycle pump.
- Cut back on feeding. With the filter off, extra food just adds waste. Reduce feeding or skip it.
- Avoid big water changes straight after the power comes back.
A battery air pump with a simple bubble-up filter is a cheap item to keep for this. Ponds with electric pumps can also lose oxygen, so keep an eye on fish behaviour.
Reptiles, amphibians and other exotic pets
Reptiles rely on heat lamps, mats and ceramic heaters, so a long winter power cut can be a real problem. General steps that help hold in heat:
- Keep the enclosure closed and cover it with blankets or towels, leaving some ventilation.
- Move the enclosure, or a smaller secure carrier, into the warmest room you have.
- Don’t put a hot water bottle directly against an animal, and avoid sudden heat, which can cause burns.
Species have very different needs, so ask your reptile vet or specialist supplier now what they’d advise for yours, including battery-powered or non-electric heat sources. Network operators also suggest contacting your pet shop, supplier or the RSPCA for advice on unusual animals.
Tip: Add a section for your animals to your power cut emergency kit: a battery air pump for fish, spare blankets for enclosures, a torch, and a printed note of your vet’s number.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a baby’s bottle in a power cut?
Use ready-to-feed liquid formula in a sterilised bottle, or make up powder with freshly boiled water from a flask, as long as the water is still at least 70°C. Cool the feed under cold running water and check it on your wrist. Throw away anything left after the feed.
What temperature should a baby’s room be?
The Lullaby Trust recommends 16 to 20°C. If it’s colder, add a layer of clothing or use a well-fitting sleeping bag, but avoid hats, duvets and hot water bottles.
How can I check on an elderly neighbour during a power cut?
Phone or knock early. Check they’re warm, have a torch and a charged phone, have food and drink they can manage without cooking, and don’t rely on electrical equipment. If they seem confused, very cold or unwell, call 999.
How long can tropical fish survive without power?
It depends on tank size, room temperature and the species. Most fish cope with a gradual temperature change over about a day. Insulating the tank and adding oxygen by hand buys time.
Can I use a hot water bottle to warm a baby?
No. Safe sleep advice is not to use hot water bottles for babies. Warm them with layers of clothing and a sleeping bag instead, and check their chest or neck to make sure they’re not too hot.
Your next step: check your postcode to see whether the power cut is local and when it’s expected to be fixed, then make a quick list of who in your family or street might need a call. Key phone numbers are on our emergency numbers page.
Sources
- NHS u2013 How to make up baby formula
- UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative u2013 Bottle feeding leaflet
- The Lullaby Trust u2013 Room temperature
- NHS u2013 Keep warm, keep well
- NHS u2013 Hypothermia
- UK Power Networks u2013 How do I look after my tropical fish during a power cut?
- SP Energy Networks u2013 Looking after your pets (leaflet)
Checked against these sources on 28 October 2026. Rules and amounts can change – your network operator or Ofgem has the final word. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
More on home, food and health: The Priority Services Register Explained · All power cut guides