Essentials
Emergency radio in the UK: choose, test and record your stations
A radio can provide information when home broadband or mobile data is unavailable. The useful preparation is to have a receiver you can power, tune and hear where you live. Test the radio before a disruption and write down the stations that work for you.
Published: Updated:
Last checked: 8 November 2026 How we evaluate sources
Start with FM and a usable power source
The Cabinet Office Be Ready checklist specifies a battery-powered or wind-up FM radio. Check whether a radio you already own can run without a mains socket. A device sold as an emergency radio is only useful if you can operate it and receive a suitable station. Keep its instructions and the correct batteries or charging cable together.
Cabinet Office Be Ready radio recommendation (opens in a new tab)
Understand FM, DAB and internet radio
Do not assume that every DAB service will fail or that every FM station will remain available. Having a tested alternative mode can be useful. A phone app that plays a station over the internet is different from a phone with a working broadcast-radio receiver.
| Type | What to check | Planning limit |
|---|---|---|
| FM | Tune to a local frequency and test the aerial position | Reception and transmitter availability vary |
| DAB or DAB+ | Scan for stations and check whether the radio also has FM | A stored station name does not guarantee reception during disruption |
| Internet radio or an app | Check its dependence on broadband or mobile data | It is not independent of the internet connection |
| Combined FM/DAB radio | Practise switching modes and running on batteries | Runtime depends on the model, settings and battery condition |
Find and test stations before you need them
Try a national news service and a local service that gives information relevant to your area. Tune the actual radio in the room where you expect to use it, then record the station, mode, frequency where applicable and a second option. Check station details through the broadcaster or Ofcom rather than copying an undated social-media list.
- Test at an ordinary listening volume with mains power disconnected from the radio.
- Practise tuning manually as well as selecting presets.
- Write the aerial position and any useful operating steps on your station card.
- Recheck after moving home or when a station changes.
Ofcom radio station details (opens in a new tab)Ofcom transmitter and frequency data (opens in a new tab)
Check batteries, charging and accessibility
Read the manufacturer's runtime and charging instructions. A small solar panel or a few turns of a handle should not be assumed to provide hours of listening. Check whether rechargeable batteries can be replaced, whether a power bank is compatible and whether the controls remain usable in dim light. Do not promise the household a runtime that you have not checked.
- Keep batteries dry, check their condition and store them as instructed.
- Make sure anyone likely to use the radio can find the volume and tuning controls.
- Consider a larger display, tactile controls or a suitable listening arrangement.
- If audio broadcasts are inaccessible, agree alternative accessible information and check-in routes in advance.
Use broadcasts carefully during an outage
Listen for who issued the advice, the area affected, the time and what people are asked to do. Write down important instructions and distinguish confirmed information from speculation. Recheck for changes before making a journey. If a station cannot be received, try your tested alternative and conserve battery in accordance with current instructions.
Plan for power and information outagesUK communications guidance
Understand the national-outage context
The UK Chief Medical Officers' contingency material identifies BBC Radio 2 and Radio 4 as routes for public-health broadcasts in the unlikely scenario of a national power outage. That planning material is not a prediction that an outage is about to happen, nor a guarantee about every transmitter. Everyday local incidents may use different local channels. Save useful information now and follow the instructions issued for the actual event.
UK CMO national-outage communications context (opens in a new tab)
Common questions
Is DAB useless in an emergency?
No. Reception and resilience depend on the service and incident. The Cabinet Office checklist specifies FM; a combined receiver gives you another option to test.
Can my phone replace an emergency radio?
An internet radio app needs a connection and uses phone battery. Only rely on broadcast reception if your particular phone supports it and you have tested it.
Is there one emergency frequency for the whole UK?
Do not assume one frequency works everywhere. Record the national and local stations you can receive at home and follow instructions for the incident.
Must I buy a wind-up radio?
No. The Cabinet Office checklist includes battery-powered FM radios too. Choose a power arrangement you can maintain and a receiver you can use.
Make your next step practical
Keep preparing
Evidence and service information
Sources behind this guidance
We develop our guidance using the sources below. Check the named organisation for current service details, live warnings and local instructions. Sources checked 8 November 2026.
- Be ready for emergenciesGOV.UK Be Ready
- Technical parameters for broadcast radio transmittersOfcom
- Look up radio station detailsOfcom
- Public-health broadcast context for a national power outageUK Chief Medical Officers