How to protect food during a power cut

What official guidance says

The Food Standards Agency guidance for England, Northern Ireland and Wales says that an outage shorter than four hours is unlikely to affect food in chilled or frozen storage. It advises keeping the doors closed, using a fridge thermometer where possible and treating the four-hour fridge, 48-hour full-freezer and 24-hour half-full-freezer figures as estimates.^[1]

Food Standards Scotland gives the same broad household advice for Scotland. It notes that appliance type and room temperature affect how long food remains cold.^[2]

Prepare your fridge and freezer before a power cut

There is no need to turn routine food shopping into emergency stockpiling. A thermometer, a small amount of non-perishable food and a simple note of what is in the freezer can make a later decision calmer and clearer.

The UK Government recommends non-perishable food that does not need cooking, bottled water and a tin opener. It also advises keeping doors closed during an interruption. A freezer inventory is a practical household choice, not an official requirement.^[3]

What to do when the power goes off

For England, Northern Ireland and Wales, follow this FSA advice. Preserve the cold air already in the appliances. Avoid opening the fridge or freezer to inspect individual items. Record when the outage began. If the fridge stays below 8°C, food can remain there during the outage. If it reaches 8°C or above, eat food that normally needs refrigeration within four hours. If power is not restored within that time, discard it.^[1]

For England, Northern Ireland and Wales, if the outdoor temperature is below 8°C, the FSA says suitable food can be stored outside in clean, dry conditions, out of direct sunlight and protected from animals in a sealed container. This is an official option for suitable conditions, not a reason to leave food exposed outdoors.^[1]

If you need to cook or clean during a longer outage

For England, Northern Ireland and Wales, the FSA says an electric or induction cooker will not work, though a gas cooker may continue to work. If you use a camping stove, barbecue or bottled gas stove, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Most are designed for outdoor use only, so do not use one indoors if its instructions say outdoor use only. Cook food until it is steaming hot and cooked through.^[1]

Wash your hands before touching food and clean work surfaces and utensils. If the water supply is also affected, the FSA says alcohol-based hand sanitiser can be used for hands and antibacterial sprays or wipes for surfaces and utensils. Keep raw and cooked food separate.^[1]

How long will a freezer stay cold?

A full freezer may stay frozen for up to 48 hours and a half-full freezer for around 24 hours if it remains closed. The appliance, room temperature and door opening all affect the result. Keep the door closed, record the time and use official guidance if food starts to thaw.^{[1] [2]}

Who should be especially cautious?

The FSA identifies young children, pregnant women, older people and people with underlying health conditions as groups who may be at greater risk from food poisoning. Take extra care with deli meats and smoked fish.^[1]

For England, Northern Ireland and Wales, the FSA says that if you cannot boil water during a power cut, ready-to-use infant formula could be an option. For powdered formula, NHS guidance says to use freshly boiled water that has cooled in the kettle for no more than 30 minutes so it remains at least 70°C when mixed with the powder. Cool the made-up feed before giving it to your baby and check that it is not hot.^[1][4]

Practical conclusion

Most household power cuts are short. Keep the doors closed, use a thermometer if available and note the time. For a longer interruption, use the official guidance to prioritise chilled food and make cautious decisions. If you are checking a packaged food item for a current safety alert, search RecallBite’s live recalls by product name, brand, lot code, batch code or available barcode.