The Priority Services register – The benefits of registering

5 Benefits of Registering for the Priority Services Register for Carents and Their Elderly Parents.

The Priority Service register (PSR) is available to you or your parents if either of you have chronic illnesses, physical disabilities, sensory impairments, or mental health problems. If you are living with these problems then an interruption in the gas or electricity supply could affect your health and the Priority Services Register has been developed to help you and give you peace of mind in this situation.

The Priority Services Register (PSR) is a service that energy and gas networks provide to support those with specific requirements or vulnerabilities. It is a confidential service that ensures registered people receive support if emergencies such as power or mains gas disruptions occur. Being on the Priority Services Register may be beneficial to you and your elderly parent.

The five main benefits of the priority services register

Each gas or electricity network provides varying levels of support if you are on the Priority Services Register but they are all geared up to making life easier in an emergency and giving you peace of mind. The main types of support include:

Support and information during a planned or unplanned power or gas supply interruption

If you are on the Priority Services Register you will get priority updates during any power cut. Helpfully if your gas or electricity needs to be temporarily switched off to carry out essential maintenance in the area, you will get advance notification. This advance warning will ensure that you can all be prepared, plan ahead and make contingency arrangements.

If you are on mains gas and your supply is interrupted for a prolonged period, you will be provided with emergency heating and cooking equipment.

If you or your parent uses medical equipment or aids which use electricity or water, the PSR helps to prioritise help to you during prolonged interruptions. In practice this might mean supplying bottled water or delivering portable generators.

Connection to local emergency services

The Priority Services Register has been developed in collaboration with local authorities and emergency services and other agencies which can provide support during emergencies. These ongoing partnership and collaborations ensure that anyone on the register, who needs extra help can be referred on for extra support.

Tailored Services

The services offered under the Priority Services Register are designed to address your specific needs and requirements. This ensures that you or your loved ones can opt to receive information and advice in the most appropriate format – for some this might be large print or Braille for others it might be textphone, audio or a language other than English.

Nominated contacts

Good communication is critical for you and your elderly parent, especially in a crisis or difficult situation. Those who register for Priority Services can nominate individuals so that relatives, neighbours, friends, carents or other carers are contacted on their behalf.

Door step safety

The final and most crucial benefit of the Priority Services Register is that it provides peace of mind to you and your loved ones when someone calls at the door. Joining the PSR allows you to set up a password which is used when your gas or electricity company employees call at the door. Registering a password helps to protect your personal safety and home security and overcome any nervousness around strangers at the door.

We recommend you sign up to the Priority Services Register

The Priority Services Register gives peace of mind by providing a support system that includes emergency help, personalised services, and clear communication. By proactively helping those on the register, the Priority Services Register helps remove some of the stress and anxiety for those who may be more susceptible to interruptions in power gas or water supply.

The level of support provided to those on the Priority Services Register varies between network operators. The operators themselves vary across the country depending on your postcode.

You can find your network operator by typing in your postcode at this link.

The Priority Services Register offers critical benefits for Carents and their elderly parents, who may require additional support during an emergency. We encourage everyone eligible to sign up for the Priority Services Register to make life easier for you and your loved ones.