Explore the household hub

Separate a flat phone from a failed network

A power bank can recharge a phone. It cannot repair a mast, restore a damaged network or make an unavailable service work. Home Wi-Fi may still work during a mobile outage, but it may fail in the same incident if electricity or broadband is also affected.

Start by asking which functions you need: a call to a carer, school collection messages, a medical alarm, travel tickets or a way to hear local updates. Write down the dependency for each. If everything relies on one phone and one connection, choose a practical fallback for the most important tasks.

Ofcom's severe-weather guidance explains that telecoms services can be disrupted despite provider precautions. Do not assume all nearby networks or every service will fail together, but do not assume a second device will necessarily use an independent network either.

Make a contact card that stands on its own

Write the numbers for a household contact, a nearby trusted person, essential care services and utility fault reporting on paper. Include names and enough context to use the list from somebody else's phone. Keep one copy at home and a small copy with the person who travels.

Agree a fallback before the outage. For example, if messages cannot get through, each person stays at their known safe location and checks in at an agreed time when service allows. Choose a meeting place only if reaching it is safe in the circumstances. Do not send someone across a storm-affected town merely because the plan says to meet there.

For school or care arrangements, use their existing collection and safeguarding rules. A network outage does not authorise an unfamiliar person to collect a child. Make sure approved contacts and any relevant permissions are arranged in advance.

Set up Wi-Fi calling while you can test it

If the phone and mobile provider support Wi-Fi calling, enable it and try an ordinary call while connected to a working Wi-Fi network. Check the provider's instructions, including any address information it requests for emergency calling. Do not place a test call to 999.

The government's phone and broadband outage advice identifies Wi-Fi calling as an option when mobile service is down but an internet connection remains. Messaging apps may also work over Wi-Fi, provided the service and both ends of the conversation are available.

Check the household's digital landline too. A handset plugged into a router depends on powered equipment. Ask the landline provider what happens in a power cut, especially if there is no usable mobile signal. Eligible people who depend on the landline may be entitled to a free backup solution; discuss the actual need with the provider.

Calling for emergency help

Call 999 or 112 for an emergency even if the phone says the usual network is unavailable. Emergency calls can use another available mobile network automatically and are free. This does not mean ordinary calls can roam freely between UK networks, and it cannot create coverage where none exists.

If a call will not connect, try another available phone or a working landline. Move only if it is safe and appropriate to do so. Do not leave someone in immediate danger or walk into hazardous weather searching for a signal without considering the consequences. Follow any connected call handler's instructions.

If you use an accessible emergency contact service, check its connection requirements and registration arrangements before an incident. The plan should be based on the service you actually use, not an assumption that any text sent to 999 will work.

Check alarms and connected care equipment

Ask the alarm or equipment provider what communication path the device uses and what backup it has. A unit with a battery may still depend on a router or mobile network. Confirm how a failed connection is indicated and who responds if a routine signal is missed.

Write down a human fallback. This might be an agreed check by a nearby relative if safe, or a procedure specified by the care provider. Do not unplug equipment to experiment with it without the provider's guidance. See the powered medical equipment guide if electricity is also essential.

During an outage

Check the provider's service-status information if another connection is available. Keep messages short and avoid repeated calls that do not connect. Texts may be delayed; a sent message is not proof that the recipient has read it. Use your agreed fallback if a response is important.

Conserve charge and keep the phone available for incoming calls. Airplane mode disconnects it and may prevent Emergency Alerts, so use that setting only with an understanding of what you are giving up. Emergency Alerts also need compatible devices and available mobile coverage.

A battery radio provides another way to hear updates. Tune it in at home beforehand so you know which local station is receivable. Keep downloaded maps and needed booking details available offline, while remembering that saved information does not show fresh cancellations or road closures.

Once service returns, confirm that essential contacts are safe and check any missed care messages. Charge equipment and update the contact card if a number failed. Keep the fallback that proved useful; there is no need to buy a second subscription before understanding what the first outage actually prevented you doing.

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