Priority Services Register

The Priority Services Register website says the PSR "is a free service across England, Scotland and Wales that gives extra support to customers who may need it. This includes help if your electricity, gas or water supply is ever interrupted." Northern Ireland has Care Registers instead, which the Be Ready site calls Customer Care Registers.

Reasons for joining include having a health condition or limited or reduced mobility, and temporarily needing extra support after leaving hospital or a bereavement; the list is not closed. Be Ready says "lots of households are eligible, including those with children under 5". The support described includes a priority phone line to the network operators during an interruption, advance notice of planned work, communications in large print, audio, Braille or through interpreters including BSL, and free advice on energy efficiency, financial assistance, water saving and fire safety.

Registration takes a few minutes through your local electricity network operator, and the details can then be shared with your energy supplier, gas network and water company so that you do not need to register with each. Anyone connected to an independent network registers with that operator. Be Ready directs people to thepsr.co.uk to check eligibility and sign up, and the power cuts page says it can also be done by contacting your energy supplier.