Our units don’t have power sockets, so the easiest plan is to charge batteries at home and store everything unplugged. Plenty of our customers use their units for business stock and packing, and get by with a phone, a laptop and a battery light.
Why units are kept power-free
A unit full of cardboard, fabric and furniture is a safe home for things that are switched off. It’s the wrong place for anything that heats up or charges with nobody there to keep an eye on it. So nothing is plugged in or wired into a unit unless we’ve agreed it with you, and portable heaters stay at home. Every customer keeps to the same rule, which means the unit next to yours is kept just as safe as your own. The power points around our buildings are for our team’s use.
Seeing what you’re doing
Some units have their own light, particularly the larger ones at our indoor sites. It varies by site and unit, so if it matters to you, mention it when you book. For the back of a deep unit, a battery light does the job well, and our Box Shop sells a battery LED light that needs no socket.
What to do instead
| If you want to… | The easy way |
|---|---|
| Store a fridge or freezer | Defrost, clean and dry it, then store it switched off with the door left open. Our fridge and freezer guide takes you through it. |
| Keep an e-bike or e-scooter | Charge the battery at home. Our e-bike and battery guide explains which batteries can stay in the unit. |
| Keep cordless tools ready | Charge them at home. Spare tool batteries rated 160Wh or less (it’s printed on the pack) can be stored; power banks and portable chargers need to stay at home. |
| Keep things dry without a dehumidifier | Pack everything clean and dry, keep it off the floor and use boxes rather than plastic bags. See stopping clothes going musty. |
| Store electronics | Unplug, dry and pack them properly. Our guide to storing electronics safely has the steps. |
If you were hoping to use power tools or run a small workshop, your unit is a great place to keep the tools themselves, and the work itself is best done at home or in a workshop. Our page on using a unit as a workshop has a few ideas.
Not sure whether something will be happy switched off for a while? Call us on 0800 2545585 and we’ll talk it through, or get a price online.
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