UK preparedness campaign drives surge in emergency lighting and battery sales

Demand for emergency lighting and batteries has jumped since the UK Government launched its Be Ready campaign, which urges households to prepare for disruption. The figures suggest the advice is influencing shopping habits as concerns grow about blackouts linked to cyberattacks, extreme weather and other major incidents.

Since the campaign began last month, industry figures cited in the article include a 20-fold rise in orders for emergency lighting, lantern sales up by more than 1,000 per cent and spare batteries up 408 per cent. Ledlenser reported a 1,200 per cent increase in demand for its LED lanterns, while retail data showed bottled water sales rose 67 per cent and hand sanitiser sales 83 per cent in the ten days after the Government’s announcement. The recommended emergency kit includes three days of food and water, blankets, an FM radio and power banks.