The government's Be Ready guidance puts it simply: check whether you are eligible for the Priority Services Register and sign up for extra help. Then it adds the line that matters: many households qualify, including those with children under five. This is the single most useful free thing a vulnerable household can do, and it takes ten minutes.
What it is
The Priority Services Register (PSR) is a list held by your energy supplier, your electricity and gas network operators and your water company of customers who need extra support. It is free, UK-wide (as the Customer Care Register in Northern Ireland), and regulated so companies must offer it. It exists because in an outage the companies cannot tell which dark house contains someone on oxygen, and this is how they find out in advance.
Who qualifies
Far more people than assume they do. You can join if you, or someone in your home:
- Have reached state pension age
- Have a disability or long-term health condition
- Rely on electricity for medical equipment: oxygen, dialysis, CPAP, feeding pumps, stairlifts, powered beds, refrigerated medication
- Have a hearing or sight impairment
- Have a child under five
- Are pregnant
- Have a mental health condition
- Have dementia, a learning disability or a cognitive impairment
- Do not speak or read English well
- Have a temporary need: recovering from surgery, a new baby, a bereavement, a period of illness
- Would struggle to answer the door or get to a water station
- Have any other reason you need extra support
There is no means test and no need to prove anything in most cases. If you think you might qualify, you probably do.
What you get
| Service | What it means |
|---|---|
| Advance notice of planned cuts | The network tells you before scheduled work turns your power or water off, so you can plan medication, charging and meals |
| Priority support in a fault | A dedicated number, proactive updates, and a welfare call or visit in a long outage |
| Practical help in a long outage | In many areas: hot food, charging facilities, alternative heating or cooking equipment, hotel accommodation in severe cases |
| Water delivered | If your supply is interrupted, bottled water brought to your door rather than you collecting it |
| Accessible communication | Bills and information in large print, braille, audio or your language; a nominated person to receive bills |
| Identification and security | A password scheme so you know a caller at the door is genuine |
| Meter help | Meter reading and moving a hard-to-reach meter free of charge |
It does not guarantee your power comes back before your neighbour's in a widespread fault; repairs follow the network. What it does is make sure the company knows you are there, keeps you informed, and sends help if an outage drags on. For someone on home oxygen, that is the difference that matters.
How to sign up
Energy
Contact your electricity or gas supplier (the company you pay) by phone or through their website; most have a Priority Services Register form. They pass your details to the network operators who actually fix faults. If you prefer, you can register directly with your network operator; find yours by entering your postcode at powercut105.com.
Water
Contact your water company separately. Some regions now share PSR data between energy and water companies, but do not assume. The form is on your water company's website under "extra help" or "priority services".
Northern Ireland
Register for the Customer Care Register with NIE Networks, your gas supplier and NI Water.
Tell them about equipment
If anyone relies on powered medical equipment, say so explicitly and ask what the escalation route is in a long outage. Keep that number on the household plan.
Review when things change
A new baby, a diagnosis, a parent moving in: update the register. Check it is still current at the kit check.
Sign someone else up
You can register on behalf of a relative or neighbour with their permission. The guidance on talking to neighbours suggests asking older or isolated people whether they are on it; most are not, and most would like to be. It is a five-minute phone call that turns a vague worry about an elderly neighbour in a power cut into something concrete.
Other support worth knowing
- Warm Home Discount and winter payments through energy suppliers and the government for eligible households.
- Energy supplier hardship funds for customers struggling with bills.
- Social tariffs for broadband and water for people on certain benefits.
- Local councils run household support schemes and can direct you to warm spaces in winter and cool spaces in heatwaves.
Common questions
Who can join the Priority Services Register?
Anyone who has reached state pension age; has a disability or long-term medical condition; relies on electricity for medical equipment; has a hearing or sight impairment; has a child under five in the household; is pregnant; has a mental health condition; has dementia or a learning difficulty; does not speak or read English well; or has a temporary need such as recovering from surgery or a bereavement. The government guidance notes that many households qualify.
Does it cost anything?
No. It is free and run by your energy supplier, your electricity and gas network operators and your water company. Signing up with your energy supplier usually gets your details shared with the network, but it is worth confirming, and you must contact your water company separately in most areas.
What help do I actually get in a power cut?
Advance notice of planned power cuts; priority information and updates during a fault; a welfare call or visit in a long outage; in some areas, alternative heating, cooking or charging facilities; and for people dependent on medical equipment, a named contact and an escalation route. It does not mean your power comes back first in a widespread fault, but it means you are known and checked on.
Is there a version in Northern Ireland?
Yes. The equivalent is the Customer Care Register, run by NIE Networks, the gas networks and NI Water. The same groups qualify and the same kind of help is offered.