Gear criteria
Radios
Battery and wind-up radio criteria for UK power cuts—FM reception, power source and paper station frequencies.
What we compare
- FM reception quality indoors (DAB optional for outage basics)
- Battery, wind-up or hybrid power—noise and effort trade-offs
- Headphone jack; backlight that does not drain cells quickly
- Easy to store with spare cells
- Reminder to write station frequencies on your paper plan
- Car radio fallback with severe-weather stay-indoors caveat
When broadband fails, a simple FM radio remains a practical way to hear official updates. Write frequencies on paper before you need them.
Sources
Last reviewed 14 November 2026.