Priority Services Register for Household Utilities
Public Health services are urging service delivery organisations to encourage and, where necessary, support vulnerable households they work with to register themselves with utility companies, so they can be targeted should there by an emergency or disruption to energy supplies.
This is especially important over the winter when families will be feeling the impact of the rising cost of living. Utility companies keep a list of vulnerable people who they can target in emergencies such as disruption to water supplies and power outages.
The links to Ofgem and United Utilities, the north west water supplier, are given below. Criteria for being able to be included on the Priority Services Register include:
- Being of pensionable age
- Disabled or having a long term condition
- Recovering from injury
- Having a hearing or sight condition
- Having a mental health condition
- Pregnant or having small children
- Using medical equipment that requires a power source
- Poor or no sense of smell
- Would struggle to answer the door or get help if needed.
Note other vulnerabilities may also apply.