How often should I check my emergency kit?

Twice a year is plenty for most UK households. Linking it to the clocks changing makes it easier to remember.

Bottled water, food and batteries are the usual culprits. Power banks also lose charge if left untouched for months.

Do I need to rebuild the whole kit each time?

No. A short review is enough: dates, power, paperwork, and putting borrowed items back.

Maintenance

How to Review Your Emergency Kit Twice a Year

1 min read · Last reviewed 20 September 2026

Household emergency kit being checked, with batteries, a power bank and labelled supplies

Tie a ten-minute review to the clocks changing, alongside testing smoke alarms. Check use-by dates, top up batteries, charge the power bank, update contact notes, and put back anything that was borrowed.

Use a reminder you already have

Tie the review to the clocks changing, alongside testing your smoke alarms: one reminder, two useful jobs.

Twice a year is enough for most households. More often tends to become a chore that gets skipped.

What to check

Check use-by dates on water and food, top up batteries, and charge the power bank fully.

Update the printed contact sheet and any medication notes, since numbers and doses change more often than the kit does.

Water and food dates
Batteries and torch function
Power bank charge
Printed contacts and medicine notes
Anything missing because it was borrowed

The most common failure

Put anything you borrowed back. A kit that has quietly been raided for batteries is the most common failure of all.

If the kit has moved, put it back somewhere you can reach in the dark without shifting other things first, and tell everyone in the household where it is.

Refresh your household list

Rebuild the list for your current household and tick off what you still own after the review.

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Common questions

How often should I check my emergency kit?: Twice a year is plenty for most UK households. Linking it to the clocks changing makes it easier to remember.
What expires first?: Bottled water, food and batteries are the usual culprits. Power banks also lose charge if left untouched for months.
Do I need to rebuild the whole kit each time?: No. A short review is enough: dates, power, paperwork, and putting borrowed items back.

Useful sources

Prepare (GOV.UK)
Get prepared for emergencies (GOV.UK Prepare)

My Emergency Kit is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the UK Government or emergency services. Our suggestions are general information for UK households, not professional, medical or emergency advice. In an emergency call 999.