Priority Services Register

The Priority Services Register is a free service across England, Scotland and Wales that gives extra support to customers who may need it, including when the electricity, gas or water supply is interrupted. The official site is thepsr.co.uk. Be Ready points to it throughout its advice.

Who qualifies

The register's own list of reasons for joining, which it says is not exhaustive:

• A health condition, or limited or reduced mobility
• Pensionable age
• Medical dependence on electricity, gas or water
• Children aged five or under at home
• Needing communication support because of a hearing or visual impairment, or because English is not your first language
• A mental health condition
• A cognitive condition that affects memory, understanding, concentration or decision-making
• Temporarily needing extra support after leaving hospital or a bereavement

Be Ready says lots of households are eligible. If you care for someone, Be Ready's water page asks you to check whether they are registered.

How to register

Registration takes a few minutes. Enter your postcode at thepsr.co.uk and you are sent to the sign-up form on your electricity network operator's website. You only need to register with the electricity network operator; it shares your details with participating companies, which include your energy supplier (the company you pay), your local gas network and your water company. Be Ready adds that you can also sign up by contacting your energy supplier directly.

Some homes are connected to an independent network rather than one of the regional operators. If so, you need to contact that company to join its register. The PSR site lists member companies of the Independent Networks Association.

The register says your information is kept safe and used only to provide priority services, never for marketing.

What help is available

The help differs slightly between utilities. The register lists:

• Tailored support during an interruption: support if you use medical equipment at home that relies on electricity, alternative heating and cooking facilities during a gas outage, and bottled water during a water supply interruption.
• A dedicated contact and a priority phone line, available 24 hours a day during an interruption, with information about outages and estimated restoration times.
• Advance notice of planned work.
• Welfare support from partners such as local authorities or the British Red Cross.
• Information in large print, audio or Braille, and interpreters including BSL.
• A nominated friend or family member who can manage bills or talk to the company for you.
• Password schemes and identity checks to protect against scams and bogus callers.
• Help with meter readings, moving a prepayment meter or a gas shut-off valve that is hard to reach, and priority reconnection after a gas outage.
• Referrals for free advice on energy efficiency, financial assistance, water saving and fire safety.

Be Ready's water page says that if you are registered and have not received support during an outage, contact the water company as soon as possible.

Northern Ireland

The register covers England, Scotland and Wales. Be Ready says the equivalent in Northern Ireland is the Customer Care Registers, described at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/care-registers.

Phone and broadband are separate

The register covers energy and water. For phone and broadband, Be Ready says to contact your provider directly and ask to be recorded as needing additional support, which can bring priority fault repair and tailored communications. Telecare users are entitled to a free back-up battery for a digital landline; see staying in touch.