Dutch households should keep €70 in cash per adult at home to cover themselves financially during a crisis, according to recommendations from the Dutch central bank and several other organisations.

In addition, they should set aside a further €30 in cash for every child, taking the total for a family of four to €200, the organisations said.

This amount, according to family spending institute Nibud, is sufficient to pay for goods and services for three days if digital payment systems are disrupted by a natural disaster, cyber attack or power outage.

“We need to better prepare for calamities,” central bank official Olaf Sleijpen said, referring to the recent major power outages in Spain and Portugal. Some of the cash should be in small change, Sleijpen added, to avoid situations where people end up paying for a litre of milk with a €100 note.

Home contents insurance policies typically cover around €1,000 in cash.

The use of cards to make payments outstripped cash in the Netherlands in 2017 and just 20% of payments in the Netherlands are now made with notes and coins.