Editorial and testing policy

DRAFT: This page is waiting for review. Figures and wording may change before launch.

This page explains how we write our guides and how we choose and review products. It is written to follow UK consumer law, including the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act).

Where our advice comes from

Our guides start with the UK Government’s Be Ready advice. We also use other official sources, such as:

• the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland, for floods
• the Met Office, for weather warnings
• the NHS, for health advice
• energy and water companies, for advice about power cuts and water supply

Every guide lists its sources at the bottom of the page. If our advice and the official advice ever seem different, follow the official advice and please tell us.

We are not an official service

We are an independent guide. We are not part of the Government and we do not speak for Be Ready or any public body. We do not send warnings. Always follow Floodline, the Met Office and emergency services.

How often we review our guidance

We review all of our guidance at least every 6 months. We also review it when Be Ready changes its advice, or when we learn something is out of date.

Each page shows the date it was last reviewed. Pages marked DRAFT have not been fully checked yet.

Honest reviews

The DMCC Act makes it illegal to publish fake reviews or to hide reviews that were paid for. We follow these rules:

• We never invent reviews, star ratings or quotes from customers.
• We never accept payment, free products or other rewards in return for a good review.
• We do not let shops or brands see or change what we write before we publish it.
• If a brand ever sends us a product for free, we will say so on the page.

When we say a product is tested

We only mark a product as tested when we have had it in our hands and used it ourselves. Our test notes explain what we did, such as charging a power bank, using a torch for an evening or checking how a water container seals.

If we have not tested a product, we say so clearly. We may still suggest it, based on:

• what the product is and what it is for
• the maker’s own published details, which we show as the maker’s claims, not as facts we have checked
• whether it matches the official advice

We do not copy star ratings from shops or claim that a product “is the best” unless we explain why.

How we choose products

We pick products that help you follow the Be Ready advice. We look for products that:

• do the job the advice describes
• are easy to use, including for older people and disabled people
• are sold by shops that deliver across the UK
• come in a range of prices, including low-cost choices

We often suggest things you may already own. You do not need to buy anything to be prepared.

Whether a shop pays us a commission does not decide which products we include or the order we list them in. You can read more in our affiliate disclosure.

Prices and “last checked” dates

Prices change often. When we show a price, we also show the date we last checked it. The price you see in the shop may be different. The shop’s price is the one that counts.

We check prices and stock when we review a page. If a product is no longer sold, or has changed in a way that matters, we remove it or update our notes.

Our own products

The owner of this site may launch a range of emergency kits in the future. If that happens, we will say clearly on every page where those kits appear that they are our own products. We will not hide them among other products or present them as independent picks.

Corrections

We try hard to get things right, but we sometimes make mistakes. If you spot one, please email hello@emergencyprepared.co.uk (placeholder).

When we correct something important, we:

• fix it as soon as we can
• update the “last reviewed” date
• add a short note on the page saying what we changed, if the change affects the advice

Who writes and checks our pages

Our guides are written and checked by Matt Harrison-Jones (DRAFT: details of any other writers or reviewers will be added here).