Your household field manual & kit

A working card needs a working system.

Retail payments and refrigeration depend on systems outside your home. Keep practical alternatives for both.

Keep a physical payment card and small cash float. Build a three-day shelf-stable food and personal-needs kit. Use an independently known number to verify unexpected bank calls.

Episode facts · jurisdiction and date matter
Context	What to know
11–12 Oct 2026 · France	A refrigeration cyberattack affected about 700 supermarkets, according to the French government. Some units were reportedly pushed as high as 50°C. Source
23 June 2026 · UK	Worldpay reported a third-party power disruption and intermittent authorisation problems. Tesco confirmed payment disruption. Source
Your cash fallback	Use mixed small notes. The £150 UK / $200 US two-person, three-day examples are our planning starting points, scaled in the audit. They are not government amounts. Source

Verify the call. Use a known number.

Call the bank using the number on your physical card, never one supplied by an incoming caller. FCC communications and FDIC financial resources apply to the US; elsewhere, use local equivalents.

Print wallet contacts

Associated Press · 13 October 2026 Worldpay incident report · 23 June 2026 FDIC: disaster preparation

A phone-only wallet can leave you stuck.

Your phone, terminal, retailer connection, acquirer and bank each form part of the route. A phone having no mobile signal does not automatically stop every wallet payment.

Carry a physical card and remember its PIN. Use Chip & PIN periodically and test your backup card. Keep an affordable cash fallback for essential purchases.

Episode facts · jurisdiction and date matter
Context	What to know
Contactless · UK	Rules changed on 19 March 2026 so providers can set risk-based limits. A contactless limit is not an offline spending allowance. Source
Offline acceptance	Support varies by terminal, retailer, card and scheme. Neither a physical card nor a phone wallet guarantees offline acceptance. Source
Pay at pump	A pre-authorisation may temporarily hold money. The amount varies by retailer and bank; leave headroom or pay a chosen amount at the kiosk. Source

FCA: contactless rules · 19 March 2026 FDIC: disaster preparation

Fibre carries data. Your home supplies the power.

Your fibre ONT, router and any telephone adapter need power at home. Ask your provider about backup power and voice service during an outage.

Photograph the power labels on both your ONT and router. Match voltage, polarity, current and connector dimensions. Test your setup safely and ask your provider about landline and telecare support.

Episode facts · jurisdiction and date matter
Context	What to know
Mains cut	Without battery backup, the ONT and router lose power. Home Wi-Fi and digital calling stop when their power stops. Source
Ofcom’s UK rule	People without a working mobile or reliable mobile signal must be offered a free backup solution for emergency access lasting at least one hour. Source
Priority Services Register · UK	Join through your energy supplier or network operator. 105 connects you to your electricity network operator for power-cut information. Source
Runtime	88Wh × 0.85 ÷ 18W = 4.2 hours, rounded. Both the ONT and router must be powered. The network outside your home may still fail. Source

Match the adapter before you buy.

12V DC · centre-positive · 1.5A–3A · 5.5 × 2.1mm / 2.5mm are examples, not a compatibility promise. Read both original adapters and match voltage, polarity, current and connector.

Open the compatibility checklist

Ofcom: digital landlines and power cuts Ofgem: Priority Services Register

Two bank names may still be one banking group.

Keep payment access through separate institutions and check your actual card schemes. FDIC insurance does not keep ATMs, ACH or card networks online.

Check group ownership of your primary and secondary bank. Compare the actual Visa / Mastercard logos on your cards. Keep both cards usable and avoid relying on one phone to reach both accounts.

Episode facts · jurisdiction and date matter
Context	What to know
Jan 2023–Feb 2025 · UK	Nine major banks and building societies reported at least 803 hours of unplanned IT outages. Published by the Treasury Committee on 6 March 2025. Source
31 Jan–2 Feb 2025 · UK	The Barclays incident extended over up to three days, including payday. It was additional to the historic 803-hour dataset. Source
2025 · UK	The FCA reported 446 major retail-bank incidents in its August 2026 response. The data are provisional while investigations remain open. Source

US institution map

JPMorgan ChaseChase

Bank of AmericaBank of America

Wells FargoWells Fargo

CitigroupCiti

Ally FinancialAlly

Independent credit unionCheck legal entity / NCUA

FidelityCash management · check sweep banks

Group membership does not establish a shared IT platform. Check the legal institution and your actual card scheme. For credit unions check NCUA; for brokerage cash check underlying sweep banks.

Treasury Committee · 6 March 2025 FCA: major incidents · August 2026

Your missing phone should not hold every key.

If email needs your phone to sign in, and your replacement eSIM arrives by email, recovery can become a loop. Carrier procedures differ.

Hide lock-screen message and SMS previews. Enable a SIM PIN using your carrier’s instructions and store the PUK securely. Print backup codes, register a second method, and test access without your main phone.

Episode facts · jurisdiction and date matter
Context	What to know
Replacement eSIM · UK	Vodafone and Three provide emailed QR-code routes. Three sends a separate confirmation code. Check your own carrier’s current recovery process. Source
SIM PIN	A SIM PIN locks a SIM or eSIM after restart or removal. It does not prevent carrier-account takeover. Obtain the correct PIN and keep your PUK safe; never guess. Source
Independent recovery	Print backup codes and register a supported security key or separately reachable home device. Code lengths and recovery processes vary by service. Source

Your ten-minute lockout drill.

Hide previews. Enable the SIM PIN using carrier instructions; never guess it. Store the PUK and backup codes securely. Test your home recovery method without the everyday phone. Agree a private family phrase and a known callback number.

Print the lockout sheet

Three: replacement SIM and eSIM Apple: SIM PIN and PUK Yubico: YubiKey 5C NFC

Your free household field manual is ready.

WHEN SYSTEMS STOP.
KEEP HOME WORKING.

Your 60-second
household readiness audit.

Payment & banking

Power & fibre communications

Mobile & a second network

2FA & account recovery

Understand the failure.
Build the backup.

A working card needs a working system.

Verify the call. Use a known number.

A phone-only wallet can leave you stuck.

Fibre carries data. Your home supplies the power.

Match the adapter before you buy.

Two bank names may still be one banking group.

US institution map

Your missing phone should not hold every key.

Your ten-minute lockout drill.

Keep the plan
where you can
reach it.

US / Global household field manual

A plan for the fridge.
The router. The glovebox.

Choose the kit
for your weak link.

Keep a small cash fallback.

Keep the fibre box on.

Keep a second way back in.

Your free household field manual is ready.

WHEN SYSTEMS STOP.KEEP HOME WORKING.

Your 60-secondhousehold readiness audit.

Payment & banking

Power & fibre communications

Mobile & a second network

2FA & account recovery

Understand the failure.Build the backup.

A working card needs a working system.

Verify the call. Use a known number.

A phone-only wallet can leave you stuck.

Fibre carries data. Your home supplies the power.

Match the adapter before you buy.

Two bank names may still be one banking group.

US institution map

Your missing phone should not hold every key.

Your ten-minute lockout drill.

Keep the planwhere you canreach it.

US / Global household field manual

A plan for the fridge.The router. The glovebox.

Choose the kitfor your weak link.

Keep a small cash fallback.

Keep the fibre box on.

Keep a second way back in.

WHEN SYSTEMS STOP.
KEEP HOME WORKING.

Your 60-second
household readiness audit.

Understand the failure.
Build the backup.

Keep the plan
where you can
reach it.

A plan for the fridge.
The router. The glovebox.

Choose the kit
for your weak link.