Getting Priority When It Matters: Our Priority Services Register Support

What is the Priority Services Register?

The Priority Services Register, often shortened to PSR, is a free scheme run by energy suppliers, the companies that look after the electricity and gas networks, and water companies. Being on it tells them that someone in the household may need extra help, particularly if their supply is interrupted.

There’s no charge to join and no means test. It simply makes sure the companies that supply your home know your circumstances.

Who can join?

What help does it give?

The support varies between companies, but it can include:

• Priority help in a power cut. Updates, restoration estimates and, where needed, extra support from the electricity network.
• Advance warning of planned power cuts or water interruptions.
• Water when the supply is off. Yorkshire Water, for example, will try to deliver bottled water if the supply is likely to be off for more than five hours.
• A password or code word so you can check that a caller really is from the company, which is a valuable protection against doorstep scams.
• Bills in an accessible format, such as large print, braille or audio.
• A nominated person, such as a family member, who can receive bills and speak to the company on your behalf.
• Help with meters, including meter readings or moving a meter that is hard to reach.

Energy suppliers also have extra rules to protect vulnerable households. Between 1 October and 31 March, a supplier can’t disconnect someone over State Pension age who lives alone, or only with other pensioners or children under 18. Suppliers also can’t force a prepayment meter on the households most at risk, including homes where everyone is 75 or over with no other support, people who need a continuous supply for health reasons, and homes where no one is able to top up the meter. Citizens Advice has more on when a supplier can and can’t disconnect you.

Why one phone call often isn’t enough

This is where many people get caught out. Your energy supplier, the company you pay your bills to, is different from the network operator that looks after the cables and pipes. In Yorkshire, the electricity network is run by Northern Powergrid, and it is the network that deals with power cuts. In a power cut, you can call 105 for free from anywhere in Great Britain.

Registering with the electricity network operator should pass your details on to the gas network and your water company, but you also need to register with your energy supplier. If you switch supplier, your registration doesn’t automatically move with you, so it needs doing again.

It’s easy to end up registered with one company and not the others, which is exactly the kind of detail our team can check.

Don’t forget the phone line

Phone and broadband companies don’t use the Priority Services Register, but they are expected to record any extra needs their customers have. This matters more than ever right now.

Openreach is switching off the old copper phone network on 31 January 2027, and landlines are moving to digital lines that run through a broadband router. Unlike the old lines, a digital landline won’t work in a power cut unless there is a battery backup. Many personal alarms and telecare systems also use the phone line, and some older equipment may not work on a digital line.

If someone depends on their landline, for example because they don’t have a mobile phone or there’s no mobile signal at home, their phone provider must offer a way to contact the emergency services during a power cut, such as a battery backup unit. Ofcom says this should be free for people who depend on their landline, and it should keep the phone working for at least an hour.

Anyone with a care alarm, health pendant or security alarm that uses the phone line should tell their provider before their line is switched, as the device may need replacing or setting up again.

How Twelve Trees can help

Making all these calls can be time consuming and confusing, especially if hearing, sight or memory makes long phone calls difficult. Our team can take care of it for you. We will:

• Talk with you about which companies supply your home and what support would help
• Contact your electricity and gas supplier, the network operators, your water company and your phone provider on your behalf, with your consent
• Ask for the right support to be recorded, such as a password scheme, accessible bills or a nominated contact
• Check your telecare or personal alarm provider knows about the move to digital phone lines
• Keep a record of who we have contacted, so it’s easy to check again if anything changes

This support is available free of charge to our home care clients.

What we’ll need from you

The companies can only register someone with their agreement, so we will always ask for consent first. If a family member manages someone’s affairs under a Lasting Power of Attorney, they can give consent on their behalf.

It also helps to have recent bills to hand, so we know who supplies the home and have the account details ready. If you don’t have them, we can usually work it out together.

A little help that goes a long way

Being on the right registers won’t stop a power cut or a burst main, but it means the companies know who needs help first, and it gives families real peace of mind, especially through the winter.

Talk to us

To arrange Priority Services Register support, call our Sheffield home care team on 0114 258 3802, or our main number on 0330 164 9900, or get in touch through our contact page.